tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54309665121234645592024-03-14T18:02:38.532+08:00Real Power by GestaltReal power: you do not need power to be powerful.Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-84081727767641873992020-12-15T09:15:00.003+08:002020-12-15T09:25:05.509+08:00Reviving, working, developingIt's been almost ten years since I last made an entry here. Much had happened and particularly for this year 2020! The year is coming to an end but by no means it's over. I mean, the pandemic. Singapore has just announced Phase Three in dealing with the virus. Vaccines will be made available for Singaporeans and even permanent residents for free. 2021 looks set to be a year of recovery. We will have to see. <div> </div><div>I should have logged in here earlier and resume my musing. But laziness is simply an excuse. Here I am back and planning to be here weekly if not a little more frequent. Looking forward to your interaction.
</div><div><br /></div><div>Writers, poets and sone-writers are able to publish their works because they are disciplined to get down to writing. Many attempts later and many sheets of papers must have been dumped or many pages deleted from their word processors. The fact is they kept at it. It might not be perfect. It might not even be of publishable quality. But it represents attempts, tries, and dogged discipline. </div><div><br /></div><div> So, here I am. Reviving a discipline, working on a streak, developing a pattern.
See you next week.
</div>Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-8112774270747485652010-01-12T15:07:00.004+08:002010-01-12T15:11:03.571+08:00Hiring or RecruitingIn one of his classic posts, Seth Godin highlighted the difference between hiring and recruiting. He said, <br />"Hiring is what you do when you let the world know that you're accepting applications from people looking for a job.<br />Recruiting is the act of finding the very best person for a job and persuading them to stop doing what they're doing and come join you.<br />Hiring is easy and fast and is basically a retail operation.<br />Recruiting is artful and slow and is essentially a direct marketing effort.<br />Recruiting raises the bar because it demands you have a job worth quitting for. The recruiter doesn't solve an urgent problem for the person being recruited, in fact, they create one. That person already has a job (hence no problem). The problem being created is that until they change over to your job, they'll be unhappy. That's a huge hurdle for a job to overcome, which leads to this key question:<br />Is your job opening so good you could recruit great people for it?<br />If not, perhaps you need to work on that."<br />I really like this. I had to ask myself, "was I recruited or hired into the job I am in now?"<br />I know the answer and I am glad for it.Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-64469876362645118962009-12-02T15:39:00.003+08:002009-12-02T15:52:10.822+08:00The Law of Gravity<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeT1LI6XeI8cNPNoWZ3QB1ot7PjR5ejWvwv6b4oiCHT0cVQHteIJ-0wtVd3vnYLum0sHmMuZHlkZpsS4Tg9wWpdNwJe6WNFOmr8a4HdlCUjOyomnj7VlFa63LvW9heySnmborpFQpsacaB/s1600-h/Newton.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 81px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeT1LI6XeI8cNPNoWZ3QB1ot7PjR5ejWvwv6b4oiCHT0cVQHteIJ-0wtVd3vnYLum0sHmMuZHlkZpsS4Tg9wWpdNwJe6WNFOmr8a4HdlCUjOyomnj7VlFa63LvW9heySnmborpFQpsacaB/s200/Newton.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410540587163095474" /></a><br />We have always made the assumption that Isaac Newton invented the law of gravity. He didn't. Gravity has been in existence since the earth was formed. Newton merely by the process of accretion (growth by gradual addition) understood and came to the conclusion and put it down in a kind of mathematical formula of how gravity works. Did the apple actually fall on his head? Was he actually hit and *viola" the law was born? Probably not. <br />However, Newton was curious and observant. He did observe a variety of things going on around him. He watched the universe and how things moved. It was by no accident that he discovered how gravity works. <br />In the same way, it is no accident that many had become geniuses or creative. It is in these people who were curious and observant of things around them and had an interest in them. That sense of inquisitiveness led them to conclusions and discoveries. <br />You too, can be creative and become a genius.Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-18079679945155635462009-11-24T09:23:00.003+08:002009-11-24T09:37:59.664+08:00Learn how to say NO!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-n6A-4w9sCCBcpn9SaC-w8OAHiPNrVzCv5HOXmRkGqlBHOJ1-lcD2KiP0LQkT9sPt6tmYKAZxVLXddEVEQytVXAycgUEH8MH6NNld97AW9Kd9ZolGnS_y1XLeTVIfe_HLji8Ck0VP6yn/s1600/hero-intro-20090608.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 97px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-n6A-4w9sCCBcpn9SaC-w8OAHiPNrVzCv5HOXmRkGqlBHOJ1-lcD2KiP0LQkT9sPt6tmYKAZxVLXddEVEQytVXAycgUEH8MH6NNld97AW9Kd9ZolGnS_y1XLeTVIfe_HLji8Ck0VP6yn/s200/hero-intro-20090608.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407477304114201650" /></a><br />There's a law against drivers who talk on their cell phones while driving here but the problem hasn't gotten to crisis level yet. Unlike in countries where highways and expressways are norm. There had been just too many accidents caused by "cell phones distraction," they call it. There are just too many who had been addicted to their gadgets, even while driving. There are also others who can't help themselves. So technology companies try to solve the problem caused by technology ... by technology with more technology.<br />This is not the best and only solution. Technology can only help so much.<br />The solution has to be with ourselves, the users of technology.<br />This brings us to the whole issue of learning how to say NO! And at the same time, when to say YES! It has to be a willful decision that is to be carried by action. Knowing what we should do is not good enough. It should be a decisive action that brings that "should" to action. Yet, for some, the excuse would be, "I don't know how!" This is simply an excuse. Knowhow can be learnt and then that completes the cycle of learning how to say No! and when to say Yes!Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-82859698789868760762009-11-19T13:58:00.003+08:002009-11-19T14:11:06.656+08:00Values<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZj_ZL0lhRwOVW8EhUo1ABKkXRvJyiwFL_0AqGomDTFqcxG1keeWXz7ENzudaPm1QcJQ6235_7ZyR14qK0UsopaoI7XI9fxCfSkSdvWMebx4tbY98qiDpRz1EPuFqf8pMfB-U5qK4N_ao/s1600/George_Foreman_81030760.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 114px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZj_ZL0lhRwOVW8EhUo1ABKkXRvJyiwFL_0AqGomDTFqcxG1keeWXz7ENzudaPm1QcJQ6235_7ZyR14qK0UsopaoI7XI9fxCfSkSdvWMebx4tbY98qiDpRz1EPuFqf8pMfB-U5qK4N_ao/s200/George_Foreman_81030760.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405693341448062786" /></a><br />During the Q&A session at the end of an interview with George Foreman, he was asked about the top three values he wanted to impart to his (10) kids, yes, he has ten. His answer was:<br /><br /> - Get up early in the morning.<br /> - Take advice and listen.<br /> - Strive to be the nicest human being ever.<br /><br />Kevin Eikenberry commented: "These clearly aren't just thoughts valuable for children. Think about how these sound advice can both apply to us and those that we coach, mentor and lead."<br /><br />I wonder, if you were to ask the same questions, what would you say you will impart to your children? What would you impart to those you strive to influence?Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-67130925055684249662009-11-16T18:02:00.004+08:002009-11-17T16:46:21.939+08:00Big Mo"One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater goals." ~ Michael Korda<br /><br />Getting started may sometimes be the easiest thing to do. Sustaining and maintaining the momentum can be much more difficult. Lately, the word "sustainable" has been overused. It is everywhere. Yet, it does not even begin to sink in for many people. To sustain is to keep going. It's all about momentum.<br /><br />Everything in life is in motion. When it stops it is dead. Now that we have started, steering momentum becomes more manageable, just keep at it. To keep it going, we just have to pour in resources.<br /><br />The first resource is responsibility. Take charge! The second resource is action. Act on it. If you do nothing, nothing gets done. The third resource is to have the right attitude. Let the fire in your heart leap out. <br /><br />On the other hand, watch out for these dampers: doubt, procrastination, devotion to false symbols, complacency and lost of purpose.<br /><br />Now get on it! What do you want to accomplish?Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-85776212542330907162009-11-05T16:57:00.004+08:002009-11-05T17:08:57.242+08:00Kick it!Another long lapse. We shall catch up. Been thinking quite a bit on what disciplines really meant.<br />We discipline ourselves for various reasons. Kicking a bad habit is one. If we want to kick a habit, we invariably need to replace it with another. Repeat it often and the new habit is formed. That process of repetition is discipline. <br />We need motivation to keep at it. It is like nourishment for the brain. It cannot be done in one sitting. It has to be done continually with regular top-ups.<br />Is there a habit you need to kick? Start by asking what habit do you want to replace it with. <br />For me, it will be to keep apathy at bay. The new habit is to keep a fresh entry here as regular as weekly. We are back.Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-18458782972655855582009-04-09T14:40:00.004+08:002009-04-09T14:46:00.819+08:00Quote<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5l12v1YLyWYbmFFudI-p44iHNO-SCBt2CrwPavgApHoDRvqqVZ4fB6dFHXgVn_J1u0OK4OOxtW-bikKIa7tmJd2MKXt2uZnoF_ay5qtB5LkarH0jnmORTTxtalR945v_kE4r_iUaRbkpM/s1600-h/225px-2007TaipeiInternationalFlowerExhibition_ShuibianChen.jpg.jpeg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5l12v1YLyWYbmFFudI-p44iHNO-SCBt2CrwPavgApHoDRvqqVZ4fB6dFHXgVn_J1u0OK4OOxtW-bikKIa7tmJd2MKXt2uZnoF_ay5qtB5LkarH0jnmORTTxtalR945v_kE4r_iUaRbkpM/s200/225px-2007TaipeiInternationalFlowerExhibition_ShuibianChen.jpg.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322579197632900994" /></a><br />It's been a long lapse since I last made an entry here. No excuses yet that doesn't mean nothing is happening to my life or to learning or to experiencing insights. There are plenty of them. This is a comeback.<br />Here's one that I had heard last night. It refers to the former president of Taiwan Mr Chen Sui Bien. Someone sent him a book with this title as he was going through inquisition on bribery.<br />"I am so impoverished that the only thing I am left with is money."<br />You figure that out yourself.Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-31532157322588824772009-02-24T11:08:00.002+08:002009-02-24T11:12:55.682+08:00ReflectionHiatus or Sabbath? Not sure if it's either. One thing is sure and that is much had happened in the intervening months since the last entry in this blog. It was also time for reflection. To move on there is a need for this. So it is with growth and learning. Without reflection, nothing much can be accomplished. The most immediate reflection now is how to help others to understand power play. It comes back to what Janet Hagberg said about Real Power. Power by gestalt is real power: when one does not need power to be powerful. To get there, we need reflection. I am still reflecting not so much to amass power but to learn how to give up power.Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-50905927045328620212008-12-04T16:58:00.003+08:002008-12-04T17:12:16.647+08:00Don't know what you've missed till it's goneWe often take things for granted, and people too. Say goodbye one moment and funeral the next. The recent Singaporean victim in the Mumbai bombing brought about a whole lot of grief and with it uncontrollable tears. <br />My own father-in-law is lying in a hospital bed right now, battling a confused mind that doctors are still trying to determine its cause for. We saw him two Saturdays back, had dinner at his place and said our goodbyes. The next day, he was found sprawled on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood. We didn't even know how long he had been there or how he fell. He could not relate anything that may yield a clue to what happened. He now sustained two fractured ribs and mumbling incoherently most times.<br />What can we learn from it in relating with people? <br />Seize every moment we can to lift that person up. To cheer and to build, to encourage and motivate for this is the lesson of relationship. Every moment of destruction, of tearing down, of belittling leads to life-long degeneration. When was the last time you said something encouraging especially to the person whom you have taken for granted and who may be closest to you?Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-36134337119782163842008-11-08T12:14:00.008+08:002008-11-08T12:26:06.316+08:00Mediocrity<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Op0KSDwzfrJrsoKr4pv9qoZ0Ee7UcTrcyxETbV7nS-6WEc_fTkf25_U7cCklxj069nbXOLiA57gibjAQ_TyOWhEX9g7Z3rq_SzFmxqB8fPMDpCsGBVIQNR0Qn1WWWViJu6uju6OT4DLg/s1600-h/SMPIMG30.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Op0KSDwzfrJrsoKr4pv9qoZ0Ee7UcTrcyxETbV7nS-6WEc_fTkf25_U7cCklxj069nbXOLiA57gibjAQ_TyOWhEX9g7Z3rq_SzFmxqB8fPMDpCsGBVIQNR0Qn1WWWViJu6uju6OT4DLg/s320/SMPIMG30.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266137381009468834" /></a><br />Mediocrity is getting stuck half way up the mountain. When one who felt he had accomplished much but still not there yet had decided to take a break which then turned out to be a long break. Such breaks break us. Such is being mediocre.<br />It is when we think we had done enough and still not the best we can do, we become mediocre. Not good enough gets us nowhere, instead it drags us back. <br />I was talking with a mediocrity-ridden store assistant last week and that store lost a customer. I won't go back there again as long as that store continues to allow its employees to think and behave that way.<br />Doing 10% less may not get you 10% less, it actually sets you back 90% which is 0.Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-78365202931877014932008-10-16T15:05:00.004+08:002008-10-28T15:50:31.280+08:00Doing what you loveI read with fascination what <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/">Seth Godin</a> had written in his blog lately. Here's one para that I just have to quote: <br />"Doing what you love is as important as ever, but if you're going to make a living at it, it helps to find a niche where money flows as a regular consequence of the success of your idea. Loving what you do is almost as important as doing what you love, especially if you need to make a living at it. Go find a job you can commit to, a career or a business you can fall in love with."<br />Some people hide behind volunteerism and claim altruistically that what they are doing is for others' benefit. This does not say if they really enjoy what they are doing. It's one thing doing something to help others but it is totally another to doing something one enjoys while helping others. While I do not deny that it is magnanimous to help others but some actually do it with a grudge. To such people, it is better not to be involved.<br />On the other hand, it is also unrealistic to do something one loves and disregard the practical aspect of earning something from it in order to survive in this world. So why can't we do something that we really love and let it also help to bring in the dole? <br />At the end of the day, I suspect that the real issue is with personal satisfaction or the kind of lifestyle one truly desires to have. What are you living for has to be answered with what are you working for?Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-26907932925080956602008-10-07T10:30:00.006+08:002008-10-28T15:53:54.029+08:00Think before we act<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKfg4XiMetKyOiaR2DfGrFNwIJFOdbHqvtWkIfkHFRfYMhyphenhyphenAdklGSFWUNLO2dVwYRVpR21GflBPwaEr9cMbnLCT0XkeLH8c4Uorda7QLlTVKAjlYcAHvzU-Qb5HDXVHkddbNtkgfMYkVi/s1600-h/MV5BOTMxNjA2OTIxN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTcwOTg3MQ@@._V1._CR102,0,395,395_SS80_.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKfg4XiMetKyOiaR2DfGrFNwIJFOdbHqvtWkIfkHFRfYMhyphenhyphenAdklGSFWUNLO2dVwYRVpR21GflBPwaEr9cMbnLCT0XkeLH8c4Uorda7QLlTVKAjlYcAHvzU-Qb5HDXVHkddbNtkgfMYkVi/s200/MV5BOTMxNjA2OTIxN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTcwOTg3MQ@@._V1._CR102,0,395,395_SS80_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254237137147306594" /></a><br />Jet Li told a group recently that he enjoyed his villainous role in a movie. He said, "When you play the good guy, you have to take care of everyone and do the right things. It's fun to play a character when you don't need to think too much."<br />The implications here speaks much. To be villainous is simply just being spontaneous. On the contrary, to be the good guy requires one to think before you act. It's easy to be bad ... but to be good?<br />What can we learn from this?Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-69053151972283218272008-10-07T10:14:00.006+08:002008-10-07T10:28:35.431+08:00Doing Well by Doing Good<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8f07LU1SO4K32oK43C_Wk3ZpZkxXzdhXfcaGzwuZxOyXpqQClRwtmxvXLeVY4Pyym1ppYCMTmE-q6M_1-UJA6YGyfN3pmwg3inEd-i4OAz3IyXExqMxqK4zQ8iFnQhWHNOLEro40angiH/s1600-h/a_wgates_0811.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8f07LU1SO4K32oK43C_Wk3ZpZkxXzdhXfcaGzwuZxOyXpqQClRwtmxvXLeVY4Pyym1ppYCMTmE-q6M_1-UJA6YGyfN3pmwg3inEd-i4OAz3IyXExqMxqK4zQ8iFnQhWHNOLEro40angiH/s200/a_wgates_0811.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254230199878170738" /></a>It's not as simple as to understand what capitalism really is. A definition says that it is an economic system marked by private ownership, in which a free market distributes goods. Several assumptions here: that private ownership is doing well; that the people in the system understands the concept of freedom; and finally, that the so-called free market actually distributes their goods and do so fairly and responsibly.<br />An <a href="http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1828069,00.html">interview</a> of Bill Gates, one time Founder and Chairman of Microsoft as well as one time the wealthiest person on earth, yielded the wisdom of sharing for the common good. He talks about being the creative capitalist, whatever that really really means. Though it may not be immediately clear how that idea really works, one thing for sure is that at least someone is willing to try and set an example in helping others. This he does so by distributing what he earned from the free market to others who may be in need financially.<br />The point I believe that is important here is the issue of setting an example. Leadership is about walking the talk and about doing what one believes to be the right thing to do. Opponents would say, "He can do it because he has the money. And he should since he has it." It really does not matter how much one has. It matters what one does with what he has that matters. All of us can do that and we don't have to be as wealthy as Bill.Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-82125436593928395972008-10-07T10:02:00.004+08:002008-10-28T15:55:57.533+08:008 Lessons of Leadership<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwk3RGZvS56P-iK4oo25KqgMiLE-JGpqfWDMh541eE1zS7_gDb1F6InCL04jYOoa69YOgz76Efc97XkEyP9m06O56ScYpZav0ql_dDcYVOaQSKRwC7S1m3UWPIkxTiiehxT4XFLlMxBAOH/s1600-h/a_wmandela_nv_0721.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwk3RGZvS56P-iK4oo25KqgMiLE-JGpqfWDMh541eE1zS7_gDb1F6InCL04jYOoa69YOgz76Efc97XkEyP9m06O56ScYpZav0ql_dDcYVOaQSKRwC7S1m3UWPIkxTiiehxT4XFLlMxBAOH/s320/a_wmandela_nv_0721.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254226844567353650" /></a><br />As Mandela celebrated his 90th birthday, he shared his leadership lessons with the rest of us as reported in <a href="http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1821467,00.html">Time</a>. <br />His 8 lessons are:<br />1. Courage is not the absence of fear - it's inspiring others to move beyond it.<br />2. Lead from the front - but don't leave your base behind.<br />3. Lead from the back - and let others believe they are in front.<br />4. Know your enemy - and learn about his favorite sport.<br />5. Keep your friends close - and your rivals even closer.<br />6. Appearance matter - and remember to smile.<br />7. Nothing is black or white.<br />8. Quitting is leading too.<br />There are much to muse over as you read through the article on these 8 lessons on leadership. What struck me most is his last lesson. I remember very clearly that one of the precious lessons on leadership is that leaders work themselves out of the job. Leaders are to relentlessly groom, equip and prepare for a successor. And when that person is ready, let him take over. To pass on power belongs only to the powerful. It belongs to one who has understood what gestalt really means. For to be powerful one has to learn to be powerless. Powerlessness is not the absence of power but just that he does not need the power to show his power.Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-15785308306869989612008-10-03T11:51:00.003+08:002008-10-03T12:04:10.648+08:00What do you stand up for?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNn_8WsHcFN7biC_8fUweFeKdo0qPA_Q-i-9mf0oNbMfl2e_55xlv1IdwdoraBdgj60zienozb2kan6rAKYN3KSrl4nONhJC4o_avt0mgl256ajFo3V4Vt4jM1AcYohiwxCDJYi0opE5u/s1600-h/t1land.vp.debate.15.cnn.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNn_8WsHcFN7biC_8fUweFeKdo0qPA_Q-i-9mf0oNbMfl2e_55xlv1IdwdoraBdgj60zienozb2kan6rAKYN3KSrl4nONhJC4o_avt0mgl256ajFo3V4Vt4jM1AcYohiwxCDJYi0opE5u/s320/t1land.vp.debate.15.cnn.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252773539088176482" /></a><br />It was fascinating watching the Presidential and the Vice-Presidential debates of the US. Each candidate has their own say but watched by literally millions of people, not just in the US but around the world. CNA screened it live and so were literally hundreds of Internet-based news agencies.<br />What many were expecting was what does each one of them stand for? Or more precisely what does each stand up for?<br />What they stand up for tells us what they believe in and in turn build trust with their voters and supporters. You are what you believe in. Who you are inside will eventually emerge by your conduct and your doing. If your core has no foundation, your life will be flimsy or wobbly. You cannot say one thing and do another either. You have to walk your talk, so they say.<br />Of course, there are many who are able to fake it all. Believe one thing and do another. When they are found out, they lose their credibility.<br />And we are not even just talking about the next president or vice-president of a country. We are not even talking about our marketers who push out advertisements daily. We are not just talking about the scandal of tainted milk products, of people who try to hide the truth and cause many to be poisoned. We are referring to ourselves, who we are, and what we do, day in and day out.<br />What do you stand up for?Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-80728784092587997302008-09-06T15:45:00.007+08:002008-10-28T15:53:28.206+08:00Fixing the One ThingIt has been said to focus is to make the main thing the main thing. What is the one thing in your life that is the main thing? Found it, focus on it.<br />The preacher was long-winded. His congregation knows it and had mentioned it to him. And now the new pastor in his church does the same thing. The feedback couldn't be more clear. So why not fix it?<br />A youth pastor had received complaints that he is out of touch with his youths. Many young people have stopped coming. Some even shared it with their parents who told their senior pastor. Everyone knows, so why not fix it?<br />A church elder is the lead elder in his congregation. But he is not well-liked. He was elected mainly because he was influential and powerful. People know he's not a good spiritual leader, so why not fix it?<br />If your "one thing" in whatever you do is the key part of what you do, wouldn't you change to fix the problem if there's one?<br />However, if it is the lack of will or ignorance that is holding you back, it's time something intentional be done to solve the problem. The long-winded preacher can learn to cut his time down in his preaching by being more focused. The youth pastor can benefit from some reflection and learning through attending some youth events or meeting with other youth pastors. The elder can be told his condition and be encouraged to allow God to use him in appropriate ways.<br />In all these, it just takes a commitment, not just waiting for a miracle. <br />If something's not right, why not fix it? Particularly if it is the One Thing?Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-32278933667017835482008-08-29T11:45:00.000+08:002008-08-29T11:50:34.103+08:00Food for Thot<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp2dvlxyiy6zU2Uyc5OceYDgk4ZFgTiyMPKTeutJmNqJnYxUc-C_Vcq8HuaCpqTRNwecZ_DW8jBebpLpK2o-RpQuRaAga_bGZ7M4xrTIPF3eO3_EIlGls1m0EorBwtPWZTpo1J8OEE3BJ4/s1600-h/teeFront.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp2dvlxyiy6zU2Uyc5OceYDgk4ZFgTiyMPKTeutJmNqJnYxUc-C_Vcq8HuaCpqTRNwecZ_DW8jBebpLpK2o-RpQuRaAga_bGZ7M4xrTIPF3eO3_EIlGls1m0EorBwtPWZTpo1J8OEE3BJ4/s320/teeFront.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239781793592191810" /></a><br />Please give me your response to this add by Abercrombie and Fitch. Thanks.Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-39583554222601038422008-08-29T11:40:00.003+08:002008-08-29T11:44:45.831+08:00You get what you sow...<a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/">Seth Godin</a> said, "If you don't want spam in your inbox, never respond, never buy anything. Not even if it's a good deal."<br />How true, isn't it? You get what you sow, anyway. There is a Chinese saying that goes something like this, "If you do not want others to know, don't do it." <br />Sad to say, many today are eager to do many things but are not willing to face consequences of what they had done.<br />What have you done lately?Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-32044566571247707002008-08-12T10:59:00.004+08:002008-08-12T11:08:39.517+08:00musing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRsKRnNKsumrfaUwku33EXK92GD0GjryJtY4zYU2RnWTYqXfhqIGZ2kl8g6gkxi8RkUw3R5AnNs8D7zOIJaV0SPMJ5xIXxb-DjayI_qEbC2mevkGKxRWACa9eElP3iaT0SEhS-9aZ9uza3/s1600-h/IMG_0048.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRsKRnNKsumrfaUwku33EXK92GD0GjryJtY4zYU2RnWTYqXfhqIGZ2kl8g6gkxi8RkUw3R5AnNs8D7zOIJaV0SPMJ5xIXxb-DjayI_qEbC2mevkGKxRWACa9eElP3iaT0SEhS-9aZ9uza3/s200/IMG_0048.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233461074297876658" /></a>This scene seems unlikely in a place where we had increased GSS spending of almost 30% above last year's. Also, judging by the record number thronging Natas fair recently, we do not think there are the poor amongst us. Maybe this person isn't poor, he might be just helping to preserve the Inconvenient Truth.<br />Poverty or global warming, they are issues of concerns for us today. Yet, what are we doing about them?Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-36622554667202649142008-07-24T11:46:00.003+08:002008-07-24T12:00:49.149+08:00Bond-Breakers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHeFyE2fv9171_vOeFe3vDX8V-P0my0KhxxHy8F0SYJskghaTSgZPjhkwzWDWEYLGbvUZ8TDZo6sgxYRo7OaD3mN4RuJu4n_elvPmP7hl6n9fcjomvA3KK9FiJBozlkvtiIMYvRfE6LuBp/s1600-h/180px-Philip_Yeo.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHeFyE2fv9171_vOeFe3vDX8V-P0my0KhxxHy8F0SYJskghaTSgZPjhkwzWDWEYLGbvUZ8TDZo6sgxYRo7OaD3mN4RuJu4n_elvPmP7hl6n9fcjomvA3KK9FiJBozlkvtiIMYvRfE6LuBp/s200/180px-Philip_Yeo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226422290112206050" /></a>Mr Philip Yeo has been associated with this issue for a while now. In today's ST, another full-page article on him and inevitably, this topic is revisited. It again traced the first person who was named and labeled "bond-breaker" and listed where he is working now. <br />When Mr Yeo was asked if he regretted it, he obviously didn't think that Singapore would miss people like him. His position is: we can do without them. He may be bright like other "bond-breakers" but so what, for they lacked moral uprightness and they wasted taxpayers' money.<br />Perhaps, as we ponder over this issue, we may also see another perspective. Such acts may also ruin others' lives. The next-in-line candidate who missed the scholarship might not have the means to further his or her study and might forever had his or her destiny changed as a result of missing the scholarship. If this potential bond-breaker had graciously turned down the scholarship and taken a bank loan instead. <br />Moreover, for one who takes lightly a trust and commitment, the future no matter how bright now, may actually turn out to be bleak. Unless they learn from this lesson and make good. <br />Leadership is trust and requires committed people to carry it through. Good and effective leaders should not break commitment.Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-90346611810376397042008-07-18T16:29:00.008+08:002008-07-18T16:51:24.148+08:00Food for thot<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1aeL4rG339UZfOpiFFDBETIT-b5D3zpOketf3srp8aqMo9_36j4Ec02qUwHXkiQNIk5NF7_c2Aqn_KQ3cBXXS8rJ-cX1uMipQBYRWHPYLcrqfnk8JIAFeN8F7L1kPLE3SF3t8_kglM4al/s1600-h/IMG_1191.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1aeL4rG339UZfOpiFFDBETIT-b5D3zpOketf3srp8aqMo9_36j4Ec02qUwHXkiQNIk5NF7_c2Aqn_KQ3cBXXS8rJ-cX1uMipQBYRWHPYLcrqfnk8JIAFeN8F7L1kPLE3SF3t8_kglM4al/s320/IMG_1191.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224268574069078914" /></a>This stall along Paya Lebar Road sells one of my favorite food, the "lor-mee." I discovered it many years back and I would find time to visit it whenever I can. It actually only increased its price from $2 a bowl to $2.50 recently. This "lor mee" is different from many other so-called famous stalls dishing out this wonderful gooey food. The taste of the gravy is enriched with different kinds of spices and it even includes the gin-sing as well. <br />There is a famous stall at Telok Ayer hawker center and another at Tiong Bahru. Though this stall does not yet have the same kind of recognition as the other two, C. F. Szeto of <a href="http://www.makansutra.com">Makansutra</a> fame had visited this and gave it a "die-die-must-try" rating.<br />Why are we into food today, you may ask. Well, it seems like a departure from our usual observations of life and leadership. Yet food is very much about life and leadership as well. Perhaps, you may want to contribute some ideas how this may be true. I'd like to hear from you.Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-5011950808119977912008-07-11T16:23:00.003+08:002008-07-11T16:31:49.966+08:00Respond Appropriately<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMcL8e_vlPuruNwcbSjCVHsKC4HE29hOS0zHW6Q8u93uTepjwGFAssAWUseTE_CiigExTih5IAZZfDo81YS1lyQjmYCl3WryrTaZVkR8hZE_wDAdz-Hx8YsnuSGEJh1rDhk2qhwLflUh6d/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMcL8e_vlPuruNwcbSjCVHsKC4HE29hOS0zHW6Q8u93uTepjwGFAssAWUseTE_CiigExTih5IAZZfDo81YS1lyQjmYCl3WryrTaZVkR8hZE_wDAdz-Hx8YsnuSGEJh1rDhk2qhwLflUh6d/s200/images.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221670038827737602" /></a><br />When Alan Nelson was a boy, his dad taught him an important lesson one day as they stood in a soybean field. “What’s that?” his dad asked, pointing to a tall green plant.<br />Alan looked at him sheepishly and responded, “You know what that is. It’s a cornstalk.”<br />“No, it’s a weed, “ his dad said.<br />“Dad, that’s not a weed. We have acres of corn. That is corn.”<br />Dad answered, “But a cornstalk in a soybean field is a weed.”<br />When one is misplaced, no matter how right it seemed, it can still be in the wrong place. I had also learnt a long time ago that the right to do something does not necessary mean that doing it is right. Some people insisted on their rights and as a result stepped on toes and made enemies.<br />The key is appropriateness, understanding what’s needed and doing what it takes to respond effectively. In other words we need to do what is appropriate at the right moment. <br />Peter in Luke 9:18 was challenged with the question, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter gave the right answer but was promptly told to keep that to himself. The right moment had not yet come and the effectiveness of that revelation would have lost its usefulness.<br />Instead, the disciples of Jesus were taught other lessons on suffering and servanthood. If the disciples had been able to connect Isaiah 53, they would have understood Jesus’ point here. It was not surprising then that they took a long time to realize that the Messiah’s disciples must also be prepared to suffer. And that if they try to save their (earthly) lives, they will lose the life that really matters, but if they are willing to lay down their lives for Jesus, they will know real life.<br />The lesson for us is to be able to differentiate the cornstalk in the soybean field. It should have been obvious. Yet, many are still blinded from the true or real message that Jesus brought to us on the cross. <br />When you understand the message of the cross, respond to God’s love now. It will make a difference in your life.Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-30245162844055630762008-07-01T12:08:00.003+08:002008-07-01T12:21:36.378+08:00466/64<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBL5SZ-x1fvLEtM9tX6Q-PcwesQAjwKd5-y_MrI1Gj54hyphenhyphenFz8civkOj9QO3HGFnaoWwVDMf78ZE2N4jJ1KAlxH5t6rb3TUT7zg7HPydd3WlduwE-25_swMYf15KI2iEZPCCmG-8rAyWyGk/s1600-h/Mandela-Cell-4.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBL5SZ-x1fvLEtM9tX6Q-PcwesQAjwKd5-y_MrI1Gj54hyphenhyphenFz8civkOj9QO3HGFnaoWwVDMf78ZE2N4jJ1KAlxH5t6rb3TUT7zg7HPydd3WlduwE-25_swMYf15KI2iEZPCCmG-8rAyWyGk/s320/Mandela-Cell-4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217892953893909346" /></a><br />Nelson Mandela was a prisoner in Robben Island for almost 18 years. We have heard about how he fought for equality rights for his people with the apartheid government in South Africa. A little white card was posted outside his cell. It said, "N Mandela 466/64." It meant: he was the 466th prisoner admitted to the island in 1964. Mandela was forty-six years old, a political prisoner with a life sentence, and that small cramped space was to be his home for almost 18 years.<br />That was history. South Africa is different today owing to people like him who dared to walk their talk. People who live out their beliefs. People who are not building ivory towers and dwelling only in dreams. Even for dreamers, dreams can only become reality when they wake up. People who do not just have theories but who test out and experiment their theories to make them work in real-life situations.<br />Many of us have dreams but they are only real in our sleep. Others have goals but goals that are only true on paper. Perhaps, Nike makes some sense with their slogan. Let's get cracking! When we aim at nothing, we will always hit it. What's your destiny in life?Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5430966512123464559.post-41879230546335652352008-06-25T10:33:00.003+08:002008-06-25T10:51:10.015+08:00What's Obscene?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPP31wu-U0sdP6h-JDbbZ2GajGiNftGmBNxkDrQbf5uM-jK7B1tIfWH2hWT398KdSUjoeqg6HCnGYa-MD2zwJ2Rm5x2jZ0oDhVHkX80-1oqVktqB7GNSyv1ofIkx4pNbHSonU9iukLydL/s1600-h/about_logo.gif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPP31wu-U0sdP6h-JDbbZ2GajGiNftGmBNxkDrQbf5uM-jK7B1tIfWH2hWT398KdSUjoeqg6HCnGYa-MD2zwJ2Rm5x2jZ0oDhVHkX80-1oqVktqB7GNSyv1ofIkx4pNbHSonU9iukLydL/s320/about_logo.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215642075277479618" /></a>This is a tricky question to ask, depending who you ask the question with. It's tricky because different people have different positions or viewpoints on it. And different cultures, backgrounds as well as exposures would define obscenity differently. More than that, depending on who one may be with, the answer may also vary.<br />So, when this question was asked in a courtroom in Pensacola, Florida, the defense lawyers for a pornographic website operator is using Google to help fight his case. He argued that simply because there are more people searching for sexually explicit materials on the web in that community than say for subjects on "apple pie" or "watermelons" it should be acceptable in that community. <br />Would the distribution of obscene pornographic materials be viewed as undesirable when there are many more people wanted it and presumably viewing them in the privacy of their own bedrooms? Does Google really have the answer or could it provide sufficient data to this defense lawyer to win his case?<br />At the end of the day, it's not just about what people want, no matter how many there are but what's right from wrong, a moral issue. Still, how do we determine what's right from wrong without a mutually understood or agreed standard? <br />Where and what is your standard? How would you base that standard on?Peter Pan - the boy who doesn't want to grow oldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10705237968896275454noreply@blogger.com0