“There is no such thing as reality, … only perceptions.”

One of the most powerful truths that I constantly use is :

“There is no such thing as reality, … only perceptions.”

This strong concept is all about mental vision and all. Your enemy is not stronger than you. He is stronger than you because you perceive so. There is no such thing as a difficult task. The task is difficult because you perceive it as such. There is so such thing as a non-conducive environment. The environment is non-conducive because you think so. There is no such thing as a scary event. It is scary because you think it is.

Rectify/Correct your perception of things, and you’ll realise your full potential.

Pursuit of Happyness (Part 2 of 2)

Pursuit of Happyness – Trailer script / trailer text

Before reading this post, please read Pursuit of Happyness (Part 1 of 2) . 

Although there are only a few words and sentences uttered in that short trailer (how long can a trailer be ? :) ), but every word and sentence is so meaningful and powerful.  Read my comments on the words and sentences said in the trailer below.

Chris trying to sell medical stuff as a salesperson.
Medical personnel : “We don’t need 2,…  we don’t (even) need one…”
Chris : “Maybe next quarter…”
Medical personnel : “It’s possible.” 

Lesson : “Maybe next quarter…” In sales…or anything for that matter, always leave the door open for future opportunities/negotiation… even if the current situation is not favorable. 

 

Chris :“What do you do?
and
How do you do it?”

Lesson : Seek and you shall find.  Ask.  Seek.  Don’t be afraid to ask… for help etc. 

 

Chris : “I want you hang on to my car for the weekend, but I want it back on Monday.
Rich guy : [playing along with Chris] “Feed the meter… !” :)

Lesson : Chris is toying with the idea / imagining that the Ferrari was his.  Napoleon Hill thought us about the power of imagination.  Contrary to a popular wise saying advising us not to count the chicks before they hatch, Napoleon Hill thought us to COUNT the chicks before they hatch.  Yes, the truth is, we must count the chicks to get them.  Count them, feel their fur, play with them in your hands, feed them – even when what you are actually looking at are eggs and nothing more… and before you know it, you’ll find that you’ll have all the chicks, every single one of them.

Napoleon Hill wrote : “See and feel and believe yourself already in possession of the money.” (from CHAPTER 2 – DESIRE)

Napoleon Hill wrote : “man can create anything which he can imagine.” (from CHAPTER 6 – IMAGINATION)

 

Someone telling Chris : “They said you are pretty determined…”

Lesson : Determination.  Yes, determination. 

 

Chris telling his son :
“Don’t let somebody tell you, you can’t do something.  Not even me (as your father).  Alright ?”
“You’ve got a dream, you gotta protect it”
“People can’t do something themselves, they want to tell you… you can’t do it”
“You want something, go get it… PERIOD.”

Lesson : Napoleon Hill thought us all that… 

Napoleon Hill : “The majority of people who fail to accumulate money sufficient for their needs, are, generally, easily influenced by the opinions of others. They permit the newspapers and the gossiping neighbors to do their “thinking” for them. Opinions are the cheapest commodities on earth. Everyone has a flock of opinions ready to be wished upon anyone who will accept them. If you are influenced by opinions when you reach DECISIONS, you will not succeed in any undertaking, much less in that of transmuting YOUR OWN DESIRE into money.  If you are influenced by the opinions of others, you will have no DESIRE of your own.” (from CHAPTER 8 – DECISION)

Napoleon Hill : “If you must be careless with your possessions, let it be in connection with material things. Your mind is your spiritual estate! Protect and use it with the care to which Divine Royalty is entitled. You were given a WILL-POWER for this purpose.

Unfortunately, there is no legal protection against those who, either by design or ignorance, poison the minds of others by negative suggestion. This form of destruction should be punishable by heavy legal penalties, because it may and often does destroy one’s chances of acquiring material things which are protected by law.” (from CHAPTER 15 – HOW TO OUTWIT THE SIX GHOSTS OF FEAR)

Also, read my previous post : “Thought drug traffickers, rapists & murderers.” (http://achievingin4years.wordpress.com/2006/06/07/22/ ), which is very relevant here.

 

Pursuit of Happyness (Part 1 of 2)

I stumbled upon Darren Lee’s blog:
http://www.darrenlee.net/blog/
And this post of his (http://darrenlee.net/blog/?p=41) introduced me to the up coming movie “Pursuit of Happyness”, starring Will Smith and his real son, opening Dec 15 2006 in the US.

It’s a movie based on a true story… about a man, Christopher Gardner, defying all odds and hardship to be successful in the end. Most elements in the movie are in line with Napoleon Hill’s teachings. Success is all in the mind. I will not repeat the synopsis here… watching the trailer and reading the synopsis will tell you much more than what I can tell you.

Here (http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/thepursuitofhappyness/index.html ) is the movie’s official website and you’ll find the trailer & synopsis there. You can also read the same synopsis from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pursuit_of_Happyness )

I lost count on the number of times I played the trailer. It is so meaningful to me. Note the words uttered in the trailer – they are so powerful. I’ll write another post about them here.

For the story on the life of the real Christopher Gardner with pictures of those real people, read Wikipedia article on “Christopher Gardner” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Gardner) and for a full feature article, read
“Chris Gardner has pursued happiness, from the Glide soup kitchen to the big screen” (October 10, 2005, San Francisco Chronicle) (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/10/10/DDGVLF4AI81.DTL)

This (http://www.chrisgardnermedia.com/ ) is believed to be Christopher Gardner’s official website.

Thanks Darren, for posting about this wonderful, inspiring movie.

The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.

“Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.” – Steve Jobs, June 12, 2005

Reference : http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html – Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005

Cut all sources of retreat, Only then can you succeed.

“I will burn all bridges behind me, and stake my ENTIRE FUTURE on my ability to get what I want. (I leave myself) no possible way of retreat. (I) had to win or perish!” – from Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

“Every person who wins in any undertaking must be willing to burn his ships and cut all sources of retreat. Only by so doing can one be sure of maintaining that state of mind known as a BURNING DESIRE TO WIN, essential to success. ” – from Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Cut all sources of retreat,
Only then can you succeed.

The Guy in the Glass by Dale Wimbrow

“The Guy in the Glass” (1934)
by Dale Wimbrow 1895-1954

When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf,
And the world makes you King for a day,
Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that guy has to say.

For it isn’t your Father, or Mother, or Wife,
Who judgement upon you must pass.
The feller whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the guy staring back from the glass.

He’s the feller to please, never mind all the rest,
For he’s with you clear up to the end,
And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the guy in the glass is your friend.

You may be like Jack Horner and “chisel” a plum,
And think you’re a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum
If you can’t look him straight in the eye.

You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
If you’ve cheated the guy in the glass.

Redefining Intelligence

“Taking Action is Intelligence”

The Victor

I was online chatting with my friend…and this poem poped up on my mind. Just thought of sharing it here.

The Victor
by C. W. Longenecker

If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think that you dare not, you don't,
If you'd like to win, but you think you can't,
It's almost certain you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you're lost,
For out in the world you'll find
Success begins with a fellow's will.
It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are;
You've got to think high to rise;
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man;
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.

I have also uploaded for you to download (http://achievingin4years.files.wordpress.com/2006/06/The_Victor.ppt), a PowerPoint printout of this poem which I did many years ago. I had this printed & laminated. :)

I might as well do it for myself

I read this article with interest.
It was printed in The Star (http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2006/5/29/lifefocus/13882290&sec=lifefocus)
Note that this URL will change in the future and will be a broken link, thus, I have extracted part of it here. Due to copyright, I have only extracted a little of it…

Job satisfaction

KENNY Wong was the one in the family who used to cook, from his secondary school days.

IT graduate Kenny Wong: ‘If I had to spend long hours working for someone, I might as well do it for myself.’

His mother, Audrey Chan, was not a lady who ventured into the kitchen, but Kenny had the passion for food and cooking, whipping up lamb chops or Hainanese chicken rice for his whole family.

That early inclination sowed the seeds for his business venture today.

An IT graduate from Charles Stuart University, Australia, Kenny, 27, first got a job in network support with a public-listed company when he came back.

However, after a year of long working hours, he did some rethinking about his career. “Once, I had to camp in the office for three days straight and couldn’t leave! So it came a time when I said to myself if I had to spend long hours working for someone, I might as well do it for myself,” said Kenny.

So, with his father Wong Chee Kong, a senior IT consultant, and Chan’s moral and financial support, the family decided to go into the food business.

---

My comments :I have told myself the same thing when I decided to start my own business. Kenny Wong: ‘If I had to spend long hours working for someone, I might as well do it for myself.’ Well said. Well said.

There was silence over the phone.

I recently attended a paid seminar in KL.  There was this speaker from the US… and the audience was in the thousands.  I was fortunate enough to be among the thousands to listen to him. 

He said something along these lines:

“What is your dream?  What is your goal?”  (Please determine and picture it now.)

“OK…”

“Some of you might want to have a house, some of you, a million dollars, some… might want to have the ability to donate substantially to the poor…”

“Now… are you busy currently?  Busy doing your work…?”  (Most said yes to this question.)  “Juggling a few projects at the same time?”

“I asked this to a friend who wants a to be a millionaire…and he was busy working on a few projects.  He barely had time for his family and himself.”

“Then I asked him: “Are there any one of your projects helping you to achieve your goal?”.  He was driving at that moment…and upon hearing my question….he pulled over to the side of the road…and stared into space for a few minutes.  There was silence over the phone.”

“THERE IS SOMETHING ABSOLUTELY WRONG … IF YOU ARE BUSY DAY & NIGHT … AND YET NONE OF WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS HELPING YOU TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS IN A REASONABLE TIME!”

Good lesson. Good speech. 

Better to be CEO of your own family

Someone wrote this to The Star (published on 9 May 2006 – http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/5/9/focus/14176435&sec=focus) :

Better to be CEO of your own family

No doubt it is true that foregoing an income is one of the greatest obstacles for men to become homemakers, but that should not be a major problem if there is proper planning.

I used to be a senior manager working with a major multinational company earning high income. However, I chose to quit my job four years ago at age 38 to spend more time with my two growing-up children and be a full time homemaker.

My wife is also working and we could have just hired a maid. But having a maid would mean having to sacrifice the privacy of our family.

Being a homemaker does not mean a man could no longer be a provider for his family.

There are many home-based businesses that can actually enable a house-husband to continue being a major financial provider for, and to spend time with, the family.

For me, I have chosen to be an Internet publisher. This allows me to have flexible working hours. I will only need to spend a few hours at night to focus on my home-based business after my children have gone to bed and I earn the same income as when I was in the corporate world.

So, being a house-husband does not necessarily mean that you will have to give up your role as a breadwinner for your family and rely on your wife.

The only thing that I have given up is the potential opportunity to be a Chief Executive Officer of a company but then, wouldn’t it be better to be a CEO of your own family where the children can actually look up to you for guidance at any time of the day?

ALVIN, Penang .

A note by The Achiever (that's me) :

If you can earn while seeing your kids grow up, earn while they climb on your back, earn while you are sleeping. Why not ? :) Must it always be 9-5 in an office ?

“THAT’S A LIE !”

Recently I attended a talk by an Internet entrepreneur. This is what he said :

“Does anyone here feel guilty when they have more time off ? Show of hands. Be honest. (Some hands were up.) OK. Why would you feel guilty ? Because you were brought up to think that the harder you work, the more money you make. That’s not true. THAT’S A LIE !”

He shouted “THAT’S A LIE !” really loud. I guess it is to drum that into our heads.

I always tell myself :
Work smart. Work smart. Work smart.
Do not feel guilty. Do not feel guilty. Do not feel guilty.

I am telling myself that I WILL NOT FEEL GUILTY when I see my family members and friends go out to work everyday 9-5 (usually more)…while I work in the comfort of my home. I am telling myself that I WILL NOT FEEL GUILTY when I have more time off. I am telling myself that I WILL NOT FEEL GUILTY when I spend only half the time (or less) than most people spend but earn the same amount as their full time job.

Successful entrepreneurs don’t have that guilt. You might say that they do not have conscience … but say what you will … the fact remains that they earn much more than the general public and they have a much better life (more time etc) than the general public.

In order to succeed, I first need to thin my conscience; I first need to get rid of any guilt (of earning easily and having a good life).

Excitement I had never known exist

You tell me … what kind of job or work can give you sooo much energy and excitement till you can’t sleep at night ? till your eyes are wide open at 1:30am even though the lights are off ? You roll left and right in your bed.

I tell you … the “job” is – being an entrepreneur.

It’s true. Because I am writing this at 1:30am. Because I had just experienced all that I had described above. I am so excited till I can’t sleep, till I had to switch the lights back on, switch my computer back on and write this entry.

Throughout my 4 years as a software engineer in 1 MNC and 1 software firm, I hadn’t had such a wonderful experience. Yes, I remember being happy about doing software engineering stuff – it was glamorous, it sounded glamorous, it was challenging, it was a high-tech job and it was paying me ok, but being happy and a little excitement is all that I had experienced.

The excitement in me now is a kind of excitement I had never known existed. I am so excited about being successful later on, so exited about sleeping in my new house, so excited about the public using my service…I am so excited about everything that is coming my way.

I am so excited because my future is so bright and wonderful and… exciting.

Oh sure, entrepreneurship does bring worry and fear that is, at times, overwhelming – but let’s not talk about those negative feelings for now. I just want to enjoy the excitement that I have now. Besides, it is these positive feelings and excitement that entrepreneurs look forward to every minute and second, not those negative ones.

I have sooo much to tell you – about Napoleon Hill’s visualization techniques, about his “transmute to monetary equivalent” techniques, about his “mastermind group” concepts, about his…oh… so much… so much.

I better climb back to bed now. If not, if any of my family members come out and see me typing frantically at this hour (2am), they will think I have gone crazy. But then, you need to be a little crazy to start and run a business, to be an entrepreneur, right ? Of course ! Serial entrepreneur Barry Moltz give this title for his book – “You need to be a little CRAZY – The truth about starting and growing your business.”