Robert Kiyosaki's inspirational quotes

Those of you who knows Robert Kiyosaki know he is one of the world's most prominent investors as well as educators. He produced books on financial education which has opened eyes of many on how money flows and how one can build their own financial independence.

I found this video on YouTube which has quoted his words, and would love to share with you.

Cheers

Happy Father's Day, dad

It's Father's Day today, and I would like to dedicate this special day to all the daddies out there, and most importantly to my own dad, Ling Teck Lo.

He is a man with few words, but with many actions. Over the years, I found that he is not the type of man who would verbally utter how much his love is for me and my brother, but rather in all his doings, he has already shown me he is a genuine father: someone who protects, guides, cares, sacrifices and loves me unconditionally. His actions speak beyond his words.

I learned a lot from my father: his determination, patience and open-mindedness. Probably the most prominent observation is his patience and calmness in dealing with difficult situations. He ain't got no formulas for it. But clearly, he does have his conscious mind to reason things rationally, and not jump straight into conclusion. Simple and easy.

I know I am not as patient as he is now. And certainly, I'm learning to be like him one day.

Happy Father's Day.

An Open Mind - Give your mind space to sort itself

On each Sunday's Borneo Post, there is a small article speaking on self-help and self-empowerment. It's written by a lady named Bridget Menezes. I particularly like this week's edition, hence, decided to copy and paste it down for your reading. It goes like:

Giving your mind space to sort itself

The power to pack up is the ability to stop wasteful thinking.

It is simply to control our mind which is the thinking faculty, our intellect the judging faculty and our memory the recording faculty. These are our three servants. There should not be a battle, for battles are with enemies. This is the time to make friends and uplift our servants to be more like our ministers, our inner cabinet.

We should encourage our mind to take a break. Shut down the production line for a while, and make quietness a luxury.

When our intellect, our ever-enquiring faculty asks us why it should also be quiet, still and patient, tell the intellect that the understanding it seeks only comes when it listens and observes, not when it questions and searches. Invite it to relax and just watch and observe what is going on.

Regarding the memory, when our old negative tendencies trigger fear, hatred, or other negative emotions, we can lovingly change them to be positive. The effect of these positive vibrations not only goes to the world outside but makes an impact on each and every cell in the body. There will be a positive response.

I have to help myself giving some time to myself to remain silent. If there is physical illness, everyone will fuss around me, sympathise with me and take me to the doctors, but with mental illness, no one comes to my aid.

So meditation here becomes essential because doing it on regular basis, I develop a calm natur. A mind which is congested with impressions is given space to sort itself out.

Thought for reflection: In silence, there is stability and the impact of that will influence people to think positively.

(photo courtesy of lifedynamix)

listen to us, and be heard

(picture courtesy of customersrock)

It is always interesting to listen to what elders have to say. They are the ones who had walked through all sorts of life. I for one like to listen to what they have to say; however that doesn't mean I am taking in what they say. What they said are truthful, honest, and most of the time substantiated with substance. And when they do tell stories to us the young ones, you will see that their words or advices are of certain confidence in them.

However, be it words or advices or simply everyday sharing, I found out that this form of sharing has another effect on the speaker, as well as the listener. It goes more than just sharing information or emotions. Whether you realise it or not, the speaker does impart certain influences on the listener. In other words, besides simply sharing tiny bits of events happening in one's life, there is a tendency that these "experienced" ones are trying to influence you of their ideology, beliefs, and values. Slowly, you will find that these ones will inform or convince you of whether what you did is either 'right' or 'wrong', and sometimes there is no two ways to it.

In the end, you will find that sharing is no longer just having someone listening to you - to simply listen, but there are certain levels of reasoning going on in the conversation, which sometimes may end up with 'right' and 'wrong' of the things you did. And this is exactly why I hate at times.

Have you ever met this kind of people?

Sometimes, all we ask is to be heard and to be listened. We ask you because we think you are the 'experienced' ones who somehow can be our good ears, good listeners. But all you are telling us is that what we think is 'right' or 'wrong'.

Somehow, it is interesting to note that things will not get as complicated if what we and the 'experienced' ones think is of the same bandwidth. But things do tend to get a little out of hand sometimes when people are not thinking of the same bandwidth.

I would believe that it is still OKAY even when people do not think at the same bandwidth, considering both parties at least make an attempt to listen and understand each other's situation. Listen. Listen - to not interrupt in the middle of conversation or have mentally put a judgment on something without even trying to understand. But, that wasn't the case for many 'experienced' ones.

Yet, we need to understand that somehow these 'experienced' ones should be given the credit to judge things or decisions as 'right' or 'wrong' as firstly, they meant well - their willingness to help in the matter, secondly, they have walked through many obstacles - in other words, they eat more salts than us eating rice. And thirdly, these obstacles make them who and how they are today, shaping their view of what life really is as well as the philosophy of life.

If you do look carefully, I have not mentioned the word 'wisdom'. This word is often too big a word, or too big its meaning, that sometimes, the 'experienced' ones always think of themselves being the 'wise' ones. I do believe that even one has walked through all sorts of obstacles or challenges, they have become wiser, one common misunderstanding made by the 'experienced' ones. Many beggars or retirees do have walked through many troubles in life before they can still stand firm or sit where they are today in dark alley or coffee shops. But have they got any wiser?

These are just some extreme examples used to demonstrate the case. But the question remains, should the 'experienced' ones decide for us what's 'right' or 'wrong' of what we have done or will do in the future.

One thing the 'experienced' ones need to understand about us is that though they meant well, they have to admit that our lives is not their lives. Or, this is not their lives. Or, you are not helping me live the way you want it. We are the ones who are living these lives of ours. And most importantly, we come from different social and cultural backgrounds as compared to where you came from last times. The time today is much more challenging than 50 years ago. And we have this globalization that brings in it different vast values, cultures, and beliefs which shapes our views to what life really is.

And what we need is guidance on how to make the right decision, not you attempting to convince us to practise your so-called 'wise' philosophy or beliefs. We look more on alternatives and reasonings and mature discussions than just decisions and 'right' or 'wrong'. We can't learn if you keep telling us what to do, and all you say is 'what you think is actually wrong'.

Who are you to say what I think is 'wrong'? Have you in the first place tried to understand my situation and what I've been through?

I guess in the end, the 'experienced' ones may not be really experienced. They still bring with them a sense of selfishness of what they think or believe is correct, and that's childish.

Wisdom grows with experience and reflection, but experience alone does not grow with wisdom.

(picture courtesy of Microsoft)

And I pray, Lord, please grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, COURAGE to change the things I can, and the WISDOM to know the difference.

ps: would like to thank my parents all these while for being so understanding and open-minded. And I think being able to engage in a non-judgmental discussion will always be a win-win situation.