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Hey there Friend,

It’s almost over. I’m writing this in the middle of one of the most treasured times for School-goers: School Holiday! And like I said, we’re in the middle of a one week school break.

My daughter is still ‘under-aged’ and it’s too early for me to ask her, “What shall we do for your holiday?” I hope yours (son or daughter) is not too young to answer it because I can see swarms of people coming to my town…with some hotels pack to the teeth, and the parking lot at the beach was filled to the last inch.

* Someone just sends me a SMS and wishing me a prosperous day for today is 20082008 – double happiness *

Whateva…

Coming back to our School Holiday break…

What does it means to take a break?

Some Learning experts suggest that a short but frequent break during a long learning period actually increase the brain capability to absorb the material BETTER than forcing oneself throughout.

Some Study experts (these are different experts folks) suggest that to better study a material, a ‘controlled and spaced’ study strategy OUTPERFORMED lengthy, non-break study period.

So believe me, when those Education experts devise the School Breaks and School Holidays, they have all these Experts findings properly implanted in their mind.

Meaning…

A year long learning period will be more effective for the School-goers if they learn to take a break from it. But of course, I’m not interested with that kind of meaning.

What it means to take a school break TODAY?

Maybe you’ve read or heard that Worldwide, crude oil price is on the downward roll. And those beautiful faces in the Parliament are heralding that maybe…maybe we’re going to see fuel price reduction soon (after Permatang Pauh by-election?).

Easily today, to bring ‘our beautiful faces’ at home for a nice, relaxing break is going to cost more than just arm and legs. For some Private Sectors ‘slaves’, it could cost their job!

How so?

Can they take a break from their job for just say, a week, and still see their sales, commission or incentive intact? I doubt it. If I take a break now, my Boss and customers will be screaming for some troubleshooting and undelivered stocks.

And that’s compromised my sales… What more if I’m a GM, MD or CEO. Maybe I’m exaggerating just a little bit because I do see my Boss and some GMs on leave for this school holiday but…

They can afford it.

Why can’t we afford it?

Well, maybe we don’t own the company…we keep our leave for the coming Hari Raya or Christmas or what have you…maybe we’re not the Boss…or maybe it’s simply because we CAN’T afford it.

But can we afford not to take a break…with our LOVED ones?

Of course we can, and that’s when SACRIFICES comes in.

What kind of sacrifices am I referring to?

First, sacrifices the thought of ‘my ego is everything’.

This is not easy to do. If your job is all you have and losing your job means losing everything then that’s ego at work. Are you kidding me? Human being is more than just a title on top of a desk. We have more than just a cubicle.

Think, “I am energy and the expression of it.” Love is one, if not, the strongest form of energy. Express it. Take those breaks.

Second, sacrifices some ‘debilitating’ habits.

Now, not all habit are destructives but there’s a few significant ones that need full attention before they totally destroy oneself, and when referring to today’s economic environment, it’s living ABOVE our means.

Living below our means is, for me, another debilitating habit, and the best is to live WITHIN our means.

What it means is simply live within your allowable ‘income-expense’ limit. If you earn 3,000 a month, don’t live like you’re earning 4,000. That’s what I meant. In fact, if you’re smart, if you earned 3,000, live on the 2,700, with 10% of the 3K goes to ‘pay yourself first’ habit.

Pay yourself first – not less than 10% - is a good habit to live by. Start cultivating it.

And for the final sacrifice…sacrifice some quality times.

It may not be the whole one week of school break but do spend some quality times with your loved ones. Make time for them. Schedule it.

How to simply do this?

Cut back on the so called ‘important’ schedule of yours.

There’s a category of time called ‘discretionary time’ which you get from recording your daily activities and cut back on certain activities which is not productive. Of ten times, these non-productive times were deemed ‘important’ before they were put under the microscope.

There you have it…some simple brief and hopefully clear meaning for this school holiday plus some ‘ground-breaking’ sacrifices for you to seriously consider.

My time will come when my daughter starting to appreciate what’s really happening around her and to make sure I’m prepared, I wrote this post to remind me of the Day.

Hope this post does the same to you.

Happy Holiday!

Where were you yesterday – August 8, 2008 or 08-08-08? Are you in Beijing witnessing the opening ceremony of this year’s Olympic? Are you at home watching it on T.V? Or are you just wasting it just like any other day?

Yesterday was a long day for me – a very long day.

For those who are totally number addict…

8 may be your auspicious number. Some say it brings good luck and good thing. Imagine yesterday, you have a string of eights. What would that brings you? Triple luck? You figured.

Yesterday, when I reached home and about to savor the taste of my favorite ‘roti canai telur’ (not really describable if you’ve never been to this country), I got a phone call from my Aunt who stay with my Grandma.

(more…)

July 15th 2008 witnessed a record set for this country (Malaysia). For the first time ever, after 51 years of Independence the Public get to see a live debate between two representatives - the Government and the Opposition.

The live debate was aired at 2100 hrs or 0900 p.m. Malaysian time on TV9 and the repeat broadcast was at 2300 hrs or 1100 p.m. on TV3. I missed the LIVE telecast because my wife was watching her favorite show - Cinderella - on TV 3. And that’s how we get to know that there’s going to be a repeat of the debate.

It’s a good thing my wife watched her favorite show…

The whole debate was nothing but series of flashback of unrelated past events, personal slanders and typical Kopitiam talk.

Except for Anwar Ibrahim’s mesmerizing speech…

Again, the Government, represented by the Information Minister: Ahmad Shabery Chik had taken after the predecessor: Zainuddin Maidin when he was interviewed by Al-Jazeera some time ago in an effort to rebut Anwar’s statement in an interview by the same channel before that.

Totally and ‘utterly’ rubbish…

Looks like there’s a big chance that the Malaysian Cabinet had to make a change after the live debate in the Information Ministry

Really. I’m NOT kidding!

Zam and Shabery had a LOT in common especially in ‘delivering speech’.

During the Al-Jazeera interview, Zam made himself sounds like an amateur whereby he’s supposed to be at the advance level, if he understand what ‘advance’ means.

Zam can write. Shabery can write. Both had the reputation as editor for popular local daily but when it comes to represent their fact and figures orally, they flop miserably!

WHAT HAD GONE WRONG WITH THE DEBATE?

Actually, this debate reminds me of the match between Nadal and Federer during Wimbledon.

If you’re a tennis fan or a sport fan, maybe you’ve followed the match. But if you not, let me tell you that Federer DID NOT win the game.

Nadal did.

What interest me after the match was the statistic and one thing in particular - the unforced error.

If you noticed, the total unforced error made by Nadal was like 27 (if I recalled correctly). And Federer, well being the World Number One as he is now, he made TWICE that number!

52 to be exact…

Maybe that’s cost him the tournament. I don’t know. But I suspect it’s one of the main factor for his loses.

Shabery Chick did the same thing as Federer.

NO. He’s not the Number One debater for Malaysia (I’m not sure if anyone know for sure) but he made too much ‘unforced’ error.

Let me try and spell a few right off the bat…

Giving history classes. Now, I understand that Shabery need to make a point and he need to make it fast and impactful. If he’s smart (which clearly shown throughout the debate that he’s NOT), he should know the fact that he’s up against someone who’ve got STANDING OVATION after his speech at United Nations some time ago.

Standing ovation at the UN…

That was not KID stuff and Shabery seems to forget that part of the history.

Sir, the podium is nothing like the blank white paper. That’s why they have Public Speaking classes. That’s why they have Toastmasters. And if you need to make a point using history, then learn how to do it well.

My favorite ‘model’ for this is none other than Tun Mahathir.

Tun knew a lot about using history to make a statement. In fact, that’s the thing he encourage fellow Malaysian to study. Not just memorizing dates and who did what to who and how, but what’s the lessons, what’s the motive behind all that.

For example, if he wanted to use the historical background of Anwar as a rebellion right from his heydays in the Uni, he need to relate that as a fact that what ‘motivate’ Anwar back then will only put this nation right where Anwar wants it - on the street!

And back that up with some ‘real’ fact and figures, and bring everything back to the matter at hand which is ‘Today Form the Government, Tomorrow Reduce Oil Price’.

And what does Anwar’s history got to do with all this? Come on…

That brings us to the next point…

Lack of solid evidence. I try to listen hard. Every time Shabery make his speech, I silenced everything around me (my wife especially who keeps asking me questions after questions) and I almost broke my TV speaker (I think) But even with that, it’s hard for me to get a single ’solid’ point from Shabery!

All I heard coming out from his mouth was a barrage of background personal attack.

That Sir, belongs on the street. Not on National TV Broadcast.

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

SIDEBAR:
Funny thing to note - the debate was not aired on RTM where it’s
the Government main communication channel

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

Overall delivery. Again, I need to remind our ‘beloved’ Ministers to know ‘thy enemy’ before having funny ideas such as open debate aired on National TV.

Be prepared. It’s better to PREPARE than to repair!

And I do honestly think that our current Government is beyond repair.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS?

Honestly, when I wake up tomorrow, I still had to think about my job. I still had to drive my car. I still have to eat my breakfast.

No matter who wins the debate, who lose his position, or who lose face - I still have to survive.

Will they care if we’re about to take a pay-cut?

Will they care if we lose our job?

Will they knock our door and hand us a fat cheque to ease our burden?

In your dreams friend!

We have to deal with the pay-cut.

We have to crawl the earth for new job.

We have to work our a** before we could get even a ‘thin’ cheque.

Can you depend on the Government?

How could you when the Government is depending on YOU.

So what can you learn from this?

It’s not the damn debate nor Political figure nor policy that’ll change our current situation but it all depend on ONE person - You!

I mean We…

Only we can make the difference.

Heck, with the current numbers of Opposition members in the Parliament, the price of oil still increase.

And the best thing that the Opposition can do was to walk out in the middle of a debate or shout their heart out some time, some where on the street outside the Parliament, thinking somehow this will bring the best out of thing.

Well friend, looks like they’re on the right track BUT on the wrong TRAIN!

I told someone earlier today that we are FREE to choose our action.

We’re however NOT free to choose the consequences.

Walk away as far as you like. Shout as loud as you like. You’re just on the wrong train.

It doesn’t matter if you’re on the right track because you’ll always be misinterpreted.

That’s all I got to say.

This debate is nothing but ‘the bet’. It’s everybody’s guess who the winner is.

Maybe it’s the highest wager

By the time I’m writing this, I’m sure the Whole World would have known the latest shocking statement that come out from Tun Dr.Mahathir Mohamad, the ex-Prime Minister of Malaysia. If you haven’t heard, at about 20 minutes to 1400 hours today or 0200 PM, Mahathir announced,”I’m quitting from UMNO!”

I admit that I’m almost shivering while typing this. I got mixed emotions to his statement. Part of me is anxious, disgusted and bored with Malaysia’s political scene today. Some of you might argue that,”Hey, you’re running an online business blog so skip all these political drama and stuff.” But I got news for you Brother.

Politics is very much related to business. And business is affected by politics.

Why?

(more…)

The year was 2003. The date was May 16th. The time: 2030 hours or 0830 P.M.

I was joined by my aunt, and a few ‘closest’ relatives making our way to Pekan, Pahang (the constituent of the current Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia). The weather was ‘ultra’ fine. The environment was ‘extra-ultra’ fine.

I parked my car right outside the house compound. Two other cars and one van were right behind me. I step out, fully dressed up for the occassion - my ‘nikah’ or taking the oath of marriage! Looking back, that was one of the scariest moment in my life. Scare the hell out of me…

(more…)

May 11th…

Each and every year, people all over the world are remembering this day as one of the MOST important days but lets just say I did not need the whole world to remind me of it.

7 years ago, my beloved mom was diagnosed with colon cancer. For those who are ‘Anatomy or Biology or Pathology’ impaired, it’s a type of cancer that affected the large interstine (and don’t make me go beyond this description - I’m not writing a medical lecture here

And she hang on for slightly over a month after that

I still remember that day. My neighbour was hosting a wedding ceremony for her daughter and my Dad was the honorable chef. Everything was seemed OK when suddenly someone called my dad home.

Even he was less than a hundred paces away, Dad was too late. Mom left him without saying good-bye…

For me, it’s even worse.

When I got the news, I headed back to Kuantan at a break-neck speed from Kota Bharu, Kelantan which normally took 6 hours. I managed to trim 2 hours from a normal time trip but I was also too late.

And that was 7 years ago.

Today, I’ve been married for 4 years and with my marriage, I had a ‘mother’ - my mother-in-law. And if there’s one thing I learned from my late mother’s passing that I deem as the most important is this:

‘Don’t wait for tomorrow for the things you can do today’

I wish I’ve done more for Mom. I knew I can and since I can’t rewind time and make up for the lost opportunity, I’ve decided to move on. I still have the other ‘Mom’.

For my wife, being a mother herself now has opened a new dimension for her in understanding what it means to be a mother.

“Happy Mothers Day”

It’s May 8th 2008…

Every year, this date is ONE of the most important dates in my life. Why? Because it’s my birthday !

I supposed, it’s a ‘norm’ in todays online marketing strategy to put something up when it comes to special occassion like this. I’ve seen marketers time and again promotes ’special offer’ products packages when they celebrate their birthday, their sons and daughters birthday, when they move to a new place and many more.

But you WON’T see any of that on this joyous date. No way…

I just want to take this moment to reflect and meditate on simple questions: How far I’ve come and where I’m heading now?

The answer I’ll get, coming right from the bottom of my heart, is more valuable than any courses I’ve attended or any ideas from my recent book (ebook) purchase.

“Happy birthday Nezrul and may all your wishes come true”