The hectic and fast paced movement of the city life sometimes can get to even the most resilient ones. Especially if we are working in a big city that is far away from our home and familiar faces.
People going about in the everyday busyness- each seemingly have a place or someone or family to go back to.
Wherever we may be, the beauty of nature can often help us forget our worries, sadness or sorrow. Like the photo above, taken in Bukit Bintang, one of the busiest place located in the town center- there is a beautiful cloud formation situated between two tall buildings.
As if, it is cheering us on, telling us that things is going to be okay. Even though we are smacked in the middle of this fast moving chaotic world, there can be peace- and the peace is within.
We may forget, as we often do, but nature does her best to offer us some reminders. Whatever it is, everything is just going to be okay. So hang in there, yeah 
Tagged as:
nature,
stress
This is a continuation of the previous article, “Should you accept donation from bad people for a good cause?”
In terms of corporate life, a leader is often paid to sometimes implement changes that are more for the shareholders interest instead of the staff and customers. Should a leader continue to work for such an organisation?
If the leader leaves and join another organisation, it would probably be the same. Business are build in a way to be able to maximize profits and minimize costs. The way of achieving that objective sometimes are less ethical. The profit earned goes to the pockets of the shareholders and top management whereas demotivated staff find themselves not rewarded for the hard work done.
To stay and continue may imply that the leader agrees with the principles. And thus the dilemma.
Even if one goes to NGO, the situation is the same. Most NGOs are cannot pay well but people work there for a cause and not for the pay. Sometimes people go back to the corporate world when they find the practice did not differ much from the corproate world.
We would again come back to the point: what is your personal objective and goal in life?
If you want to inspire and help others to realise their potential, then you can do it anywhere or in any company. For example, the company may be too profit orientated and have bad management, and you may feel you want to quit and go to a better company.
But if you look around the staff below you or around you who seemed to be suffering and demotivated, instead of joining the bandwagon and leaving, perhaps you can ask yourself, “what can I go to make a difference?”.
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Tagged as:
ambition,
stress,
work
by Yin on February 27, 2012
This moral dilemma often arise in situation such as:
- should a non profit or religious organisation accept donations from known criminals or from people who had been known to cause harm to many others….just to survive?
- should a leader work for a organisation that no longer agrees with his/her principles- thus continue to earn the salary or leave?
Most non profit and religious organisations do not receive generous funding from the government. They need to find the ways and means to continue to exist in order to achieve their mission of helping others.
If you find yourself in this situation and is in a dilemma, perhaps the book written by Ruma Bose called “Mother Teresa, CEO” would change your whole perspective on this.
It is said that Mother Teresa had accepted money from those who have been known to commit crimes. This raised an ethical issue and many people had questioned her practice. At the same time, she was also questioned with what she had done with all the donations that she had received- why instead of improving facilities and the hospice service, she had instead set up branches.
You would know that Mother Teresa devoted her entire life to service. She did not just sit on a throne and dictate out orders for her nuns to do. She herself inspire others through her own example- she practiced what she preached.
Her mission is simple, to serve the poorest of the poor- offering dignity and hope to those who had never received it before. To allow the dying to die with dignity instead of dying on the street- all alone in the world.
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Tagged as:
choices,
money
by Yin on February 19, 2012
Whitney Houston was really a very talented singer and entertainer. Her songs has been truly inspirational. Her death has been a real shock. An entertainer is able to uplift others with her heart warming songs and performance. But one wonders who is going to be there to uplift her when she needed someone the most?
Her songs have uplifted millions. Even when she is no longer around, her legacy stays.
Tagged as:
life,
money
by Yin on January 24, 2012
Ever since from as young as I could remember, I had been helping my mother to bake jam tarts. It is an annual thing before Chinese New Year.
The jam tarts would be then distributed to neighbors, relatives and friends… FOR FREE. We get to take some back to share with our friends. The baking thing lasts almost the entire day- but as we, the kids grow up, we got faster and more efficient in our work so the baking could finish early.
I always wondered why of all cookies, my mom had to choose jam tarts? Jam tarts are one of the hardest and most time consuming cookies to be made. My mom would put effort to do everything- including:
- select the pineapples- usually she would buy about 10 big ones
- take them back, cut and scrape them and cook them. The pineapple are corrosive to the hands and the scrapping is sometimes painful especially if there is a little cut on the hand. My mom would scrape the pineapples with her bare hands, not preferring gloves. Then the cooking takes 4 hours till the jam are dark and they are cooked back in their own juices – the process would take a day
- another day to clean and line all the tins/ containers with tracing paper
- prepare the pastry, oil the trays, and bake–and of course the cleaning up
- distribute the baked tarts
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Tagged as:
choices,
family,
work
by Yin on December 13, 2011
There is a saying in Cantonese that is passed down from ancient times:
”How much a person can eat or wear is fated.”
Some believe it to be true, some otherwise. Well, it does depend in intepretation.
A lazy and weak-willed person would say, “if I am meant to have a million dollars, even though I do not work, it will fall on my lap. One day I would strike it big through gambling or lottery….”
An industrious person would say, “since I do not know the extend of what I meant to get, let me give it my best shot. Who knows, lady luck may smile down at me…one thing’s for sure, money is not going to come if I just sit around doing nothing and complaining.”
Personally, I do believe in the saying- that the amount of material possessions that we are meant to have is more or less pre-determined. But since we do not know the extend of our earning potential, we just give it our best shot. And accept whatever that comes with an open mind.
That makes life much less stressful, don’t you think so?
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Tagged as:
choices,
life,
money
by Yin on November 26, 2011
‘We can observe many events in our daily lives that can serve as good wake up calls for us- to stop our obsession with money and material gain ….and reflect deeper on what’s important.
Last week, when I read in the Strait Times that Bee Gees Robin Gibb is battling with liver cancer, the phrase mentioned in the article really struck me:
“Robin is not good and there is a lot of concern for him,” the source said. “You can use your wealth to call in the best experts but sometimes no amount of fame, prestige and money can change things when it comes to cancer.”
Like most people, sometimes I tend to forget. Momentarily I would focus on things like why my blog earnings go down or on that particularly annoying fella at work when those things are not important. It’s easy to forget till we get reminders like this. That everything in life changes and it is really impermanent. Today we have, tomorrow we lose it all.
The life of an old lonely lady
You know, there is this old lady who is staying near my house. She used to stay with her husband and I would remember years ago when I used to drive past and see both she and her husband sitting by the swing (they have in their home compound) just ‘being’- doing nothing and be contended.
Then, about more than 10 years ago, her husband passed away- I remember the funeral……and she was left all alone by herself. I did not think anyone really bothered to ask how she was getting on. She was getting older day by day- and it amazes me that an old lady of about easily 80 years old plus could live all by herself. Everyday, she would slowly walk to the market- all bend and taking step-by-step to the market to get food.
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Tagged as:
health,
life,
money,
nature,
parents
by Yin on August 31, 2011
This is post is part of the series of posts written on the lessons from Journey to the West (1996 TVB version).
Back to Journey to the West (TVB) Main Page
Sha Wu Jing 沙僧
Originally Sha Wujing resided in heaven. He was a bit low in IQ and hence tried to steal a light of wisdom from Jade Empress.
Admiring the wisdom lamp
While admiring the lamp, suddenly Jade Empress walked in. In shock, and in fear, he dropped and broke the lamp. He was then punished to earth with daily to have 7 knifes pierced through his organs.
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Tagged as:
Journey
by Yin on August 27, 2011
This is post is part of the series of posts written on the lessons from Journey to the West (1996 TVB version).
Back to Journey to the West (TVB) Main Page
Tang Sanzang (Golden Cicada)- the teacher
Every year in heaven, the Buddha would arrange for a great gathering where chanting and Dhamma is shared. 1500 years ago, who can guess that during a gathering, the Buddha was to banish one of his favorite disciples down to earth.
Tang Shazang (in his previous life) and Guan Yin in the annual heavenly gathering
It was during that gathering, as the Buddha was speaking the Dhamma, a loud snoring sound was heard in the assembly. The favourite disciple was fast asleep and snoring that is….
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Tagged as:
Buddhism,
choices,
Journey,
lessons
by Yin on August 24, 2011
I just received a very sad news that my investment agent Mr T had passed away suddenly from heart attack. It was a real shock to me to know that he is gone so soon. It’s even more sadder to see the photo he took with his daughter- how proud he had looked during his daughter’s graduation (probably during diploma graduation) and now he is gone forever.
Often, this becomes very hard to accept. Heart attack is really a silent killer- it comes without any signs and suddenly, the person is gone. It is also the number one killer in Malaysia.
This agent of mine was a very kind man. He used to have a corporate job but left the job after becoming disillusioned with the kind of life, politics involved. He also felt he did not want to continue working for the rest of his life, surviving from paycheck to paycheck. And he wanted to spend more time with his family. So he made the decision to venture out to become an investment agent.
Mr T was recommended to me by a good friend of mine- who herself is very well versed and experienced in finance. And she was always happy with his service because he follows up well. So if she recommends anyone, it must be good. At that point, my friend was concerned that I was just working and not investing and thus, persuaded me to just invest and introduced Mr T to me.
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Tagged as:
choices,
entrepreneur,
invest,
memories,
work