Lim Eng Hai & The 5E Network

We can communicate better! I believe in CANI - Constant, Never Ending Improvement

2012-02-03T16:00:00.001-08:00

Through this weekend, Feb 4th and 5th, and the evening of Feb 7th, I will be attending another Landmark Education course on COMMUNICATION: ACCESS TO POWER.

The course flyer says: "Be heard, be known, listen — be effective in communication"

Gain access to a new world of communication - where language is not merely a bridge, a response, or a way to deal with the world, but rather what brings that very world into being. Through this course, listening and speaking — actions that we would normally think of as ordinary and common place — take on new dimensions and provide unexpected power.

They become the instruments of creation.

Communication known this way becomes inseparable from who we are and what we bring to our world. It moves people. It transforms both the speaker and the listener. It allows you to be heard and known in new ways that generate partnership and affinity.

In the Communication Curriculum, you'll come to know communication in a new way. You'll participate in dialogue with a leader, one-on-one role-playing, and exercises that take what you've learned into your life. You will discover your ability to communicate with impact, effectiveness, and grace.

EXCITING! I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO COMMUNICATING AT A WHOLE NEW LEVEL!

Thoughts on Being Sapphire in 5 months

2011-11-30T00:01:00.001-08:00

Unipower truly rocks, and is the force behind the waves upon waves of success and rank advancements in our Unicity business!!!

My deep heart-felt thanks goes to Unipower - the system, the business school, and the team of world-class leaders, all of whom are lined up behind all the work that we do in The Happy Life Project @ Unicity. Unipower is to me Godsent. It is what we need to be successful in building our personal Unicity franchises.

Having been in business for many years, I know only too well that we'd not have achieved the results that we are enjoying in the latest quarter and the 2 years before this, if we had not plugged fully into the system, and stay plugged on.

I am committed to enrolling every single new franchise owner to do likewise, and to lead them to Bangkok to meet our Thai mentors and leaders and see with their own eyes and hearts the huge results that have been created and continue to be created and put up for scrutiny at the UPS, a monthly showcase of what is possible with the Unipower system.

If they could see, they would believe; and if they'd see more, they'd believe more. When we believe enough, we will do whatever work that is necessary to create success, and when we do that, success naturally follows. X = Y!

I am glad that in Singapore and Malaysia, the Unicity business, powered by the Unipower system and team, is seeing people from all walks of life achieving the extraordinary results that we tell our friends about.

Rich or poor; accomplished business people or young adults fresh out of school; professionals or factory workers; Malay, Chinese or others; young people, middle aged or senior citizens; people from all walks of life can see a vision of new possibilities for their lives when shown the Happy Life Project, and then can achieve the results that we tell them about when they choose to plug in and play along.

I am thankful for the solid structures that are being built up in our business and the many "core leaders" that are showing up every quarter, every month, every week, every day. Core leaders are the most-prized human assets in our business. They are the leaders who would be willing to learn the ropes, avail themselves to the world-class coaching that the system and the team has to offer, and do the basic work needed to be done every day in order to succeed.

I am excited and optimistic about the future that we are scripting.

My personal rank advancement to Presidential Sapphire 1 in August, PS2 in September, and surely PS3 by October 2011, and thus become fully-qualified Presidential Sapphire within 5 months of becoming fully-qualified Presidential Director back in May, speaks volume for the power of the system. The system is enabling many people all the way down the lines and across various legs to grow their business and achieve the results that they set their hearts on.

Congratulations to all who have caught the vision of new possibilities for your life and have embarked on this exciting journey with us.

Come on, no more a life of trade-offs and never-ending struggles. Let's take on the abundance that we can get with The Happy Life Project and go for Health, Wealth, Time, Success, Freedom, Happiness!

Lim Eng Hai, Presidential Sapphire, Unicity
21 October 2011

The Power of The One => The Power of One

2011-11-29T23:41:00.001-08:00

Article dated 5 Sept 2011, published in Unicity's Prime Life newsletter, April-June 2011 edition

Thank God I made it, finally - stepping into Unicity International’s President’s Club, as a fully-qualified Presidential Director, earning a permanent place of honor on the wall of fame in Unicity’s office in Singapore.

Right Actions (X) Get Right Results (Y)

This achievement in May 2011 came 3 months short of the 10th Anniversary of my signing up for a Unicity business. Yes, it’s been a long 10-year journey!

However, this achievement is really the result of the right actions of only the past 2 years – counting from the moment we first embraced the Unipower system for success, on the kind invitation of a great Thai gentleman.

Kawp Khun Maak Krap, Khun Joe

A Big Thank You to Presidential Triple Diamond Khun Joe, for remembering us, reaching out to us and showing us the way. You are truly God-sent. I’ll never forget how in a moment of quiet desperation, in Feb 2009, I prayed to God to send me and my people the power to succeed. You showed up within a month and offered us the Unipower system, developed and perfected in Thailand. Awesome!

Combine Power of Team, System & You with Great Company

Our success in building a PD-rank organization speaks volumes about how having a great opportunity with great products from a great company is not enough to get success. They are necessary conditions, but not enough. We also need to learn to work together as a Team and align ourselves behind one System. There is extra magic when we all agree to work together towards a common goal – one universal enough for all, the 100% Happy Life from the Happy Life Project!

Like the several hundred thousand distributors in Thailand, we now have in Unicity Singapore and Malaysia a system that enables people from all walks of life, regardless of race, language or religion, socio-economic profile or personal capabilities, to achieve big success in Unicity, within a short, predictable time-frame. Unipower is the GPS we need to make sure we stay the course and get to our dreams and goals, on time.

See => Believe => Follow

To access that power, we need to first believe, and then, follow, and follow 100% until we reach our goal.

Let my result serve as an inspiration to those who want success in Unicity, and get health, freedom and happiness in life. Mine is the story of one who was shown a great opportunity, saw it, grabbed it, and then, never let go - no matter how long and difficult the journey was. He persevered until help and the solution showed up.
Now, you don’t just have my result as proof you can see to believe.

Consider the result of Shalina Ismail – a new-generation leader whose achievement gives me greater satisfaction and a deeper joy than my own. Shalina first touched the Presidential Director rank the same month I became fully-qualified. She went on to become fully-qualified the next 2 months. That’s under 2 years from the time she signed up with Unicity, 18 months from her decision to succeed following the Unipower system.

Next, we’d love to help raise 10 more Presidents before the year is out, and cause at least 100 Presidents to show up in the next 2-3 years. There is a lot of room at the top. Would you like to join us?

Lim Eng Hai, Presidential Director, Unicity
5 September 2011

When you're down in the dumps and people heap dirt at you ...

2011-10-19T02:56:00.000-07:00

Have you ever come across the story of the donkey that fell into a well, and whose owner, the farmer, didn't know how to rescue it, and so decided to bury it alive? I came across this story again today, on one of my friend's facebook posts, and appreciated the story more deeply this time. Please read on, and let me share with you my takeaway.

"One of my favorite stories is about a farmer’s donkey that fell into a dry well. The animal cried pitifully for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do for his poor donkey. Finally, he concluded that the well was too deep, and it really needed to be covered up anyway. Besides, the donkey was old, and it would be a lot of trouble to get him out of the pit. The farmer decided that it was not worth trying to retrieve the animal, so he asked his neighbors to help him fill in the well and bury the donkey.

They all grabbed shovels and began to toss dirt into the well. The donkey immediately realized what was happening, and he began to bray horribly. Crying would be our normal response if somebody was mistreating us this badly, so this donkey was responding the same way we would at first, but then he got real quiet. A few shovel loads of dirt later, the farmer looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit the donkey’s back, the donkey would shake it off and step on top of it.

As the neighbors and the farmer continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he continued to shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon the donkey shook off the last shovel full of dirt, took a step up, and walked right out of the well. We can learn from this story.

When trouble comes, if we will get still and listen, God will tell us what to do."

- Meyer Joyce, New Day, New You, 366 Days for Enjoying Everyday Life, FaithWords, Kindle Edition

My takeaway from this story ...

When you are (or feel like you are) down in the dumps, and find that people, for whatever reasons, saw it fit to throw more dirt at you, you have two choices.

Surrender and die, or turn the situation around to your advantage. Succumb to the dirt people heap at you or shake it off, step on it and use the dirt to go higher?

It will help if we know deep in our heart why we need to get out of the hole that we may find ourselves in so as to live to enjoy another day in the warm sunshine!

As the story goes, it also helps if we'd just be still in the midst of troubles, and listen up for the Wisdom from above.

I've been there before. I'm forever glad I had the wisdom to quieten my spirit and look up for the blessing in the challenge.

A million dollar vision of Singapore

2011-08-10T19:01:00.001-07:00

On 11 September 2002, I posted the following article in my organization's private website. I never let go of this vision through the difficult years when the burden was heavy, the journey was lonely, and the result, nothing to shout about.

Now in conjunction with Singapore's 46th National Day, celebrated with great fanfare and fireworks just a few days ago, and given the great success and inspiring results we've been able to produce in the past 2 years, I feel it is time to roll out what I called ..

A Million Dollar Vision: An opportunity not to be missed.

Please read on.

I envision Singapore emerging as the Network Marketing capital of the world. I foresee a vibrant, happy, positively-charged city in which an unbelievable 40% of the 4m population is actively or passively involved in Network Marketing.

The active network marketers, celebrated on a global platform, do a global business connecting every day with people within the immediate region, Southeast Asia, and well beyond.

Their activities touch millions of lives all over the world, certainly in all the active network marketing regions of the world – Asean, China, Japan, Korea, USA, Latin America, Europe.

This vision is founded on certain conditions currently in place and trends that are at work today.

1. Singapore is the most globally connected city of the world. That makes it the best place in the world to build and run a global business.

2. Singapore is losing its edge in many traditional industries in the light of sustained competition from low-cost manufacturing giants such as China and others. Hence, a government-sponsored drive into biotechnology or life sciences.

3. However, the climb up the technology ladder involves ever-smaller job creation. People displaced by unprecedented shake-out in many industries - from manufacturing to finance and other services – are forced to look for new ways to make a living and ensure their economic well-being. For many, going into business for themselves has become a matter of necessity rather than a matter of choice.

4. Network Marketing, totally banned until the year 2000, provides a compelling option to middle-class risk-averse Singapore, unused to the ways and risks of traditional businesses. For a people unprepared to risk their personal capital, lacking in entrepreneurial experience but abundantly blessed with capacity and desire to learn, the emergence of Network Marketing is but a timely Godsent. It provides more than a welcome relief to thousands of people at a time when they feel deeply insecure about their economic wellbeing.

5. Serious Network Marketers cannot help looking beyond the domestic market, driven out by the smallness of Singapore and attracted by the bigness of the market potential regionally and beyond. Their international endeavors will be facilitated by the connectedness of Singapore and encouraged by the ease of building a global network of relationships by leveraging on unrivalled socio-cultural, linguistic, physical and technological connections.

Socio-cultural connections

Singapore has a globally-connected population of 4m. It includes expatriates and foreigners who have “permanently resided” in the island state but still maintain family and friendly links with people from various parts of the world. Even the core group of Singaporeans have active family and social contacts in various countries where they or their forebears come from – Malaysia, Indonesia, China, India, USA, Europe. In addition, the transient foreign worker population includes hundreds of thousands from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and China, even the US and Europe. Many of these groups - such as the 500,000 Chinese nationals said to be working in Singapore - have a very visible or audible presence in Singapore’s social landscape. Look out or listen out for them not just along Orchard Road or Shenton Way but also in the HDB heartland.

Linguistic connections

If you can’t speak Pudonghua, you can find thousands who do in Singapore. Likewise with Malay, Indonesian, Thai, Tagalog, Indian, Japanese, Korean, even Russian, French and Dutch. If you want to communicate with someone in Thai, find a Thai in Singapore who speaks in English with you and speaks in Thai with his compatriot. Likewise, with the others.

Physical connections

Singapore has one of the busiest airports and seaports in the world. Global competition and a marketplace open to all major players in the world will keep prices down and send them even lower over time. Travel is already easy and cheap, and it will become easier and cheaper; so will movement of goods. This is the positive spin-off missing from the generally negative press coverage of Port of Singapore recently losing some high-profile customers to Johor’s new port. The positive spin-off, however, is relevant mainly to those who travel frequently and those who have a vested interest in the cost-effective movement of goods.

Technological connections

Singapore has the highest mobile phone penetration rate in the world – a remarkable feat after only 5 years of breaking up Singapore Telecommunications’ monopoly.

In March 1997, as M1 was rolling out its competing services, SingTel had achieved a penetration rate of only 14%, based on 430,000 subscribers on a narrowly-defined population base of 3.1m Singapore residents. In August 2002, the mobile penetration rate had climbed to a previously unimaginable 75% - or 3.1m subscribers, on a more broadly defined population base of 4.1m. Prior to 1997, the conventional wisdom of how high mobile phone penetration rate can be was 50%, or a level below that. The 50% was the mobile phone penetration rate in Scandinavia.

Singapore’s Internet connectivity is also possibly one of the highest in the world, and its cosmopolitan population, exposed to the latest in technological gimmickry, one of the most Internet-savvy in the world. Singapore epitomizes a world where business can be done “at the speed of thought”!

Interpretations and Postulations

Here’s one interesting interpretation of the phenomenal increase in mobile phone penetration: Great ideas, products and services spread like wildfire in Singapore’s compact marketplace, and can far exceed conventional wisdom of what’s achievable or thinkable.

Now, imagine combining the opportunity of network marketing on a global scale with the necessitating, facilitating and encouraging (or push and pull) factors that are uniquely Singapore’s. What do you think will happen in 10-20 years?

Based on this convergence, I believe Singapore will, within this generation i.e. in 10-20 years, emerge as the Network Marketing capital of the world, with a currently-unthinkable audacious-sounding 40% of the population involved, providing a rich pool from which many inspiring Global Network Marketing Leaders will appear.

Singapore is the right place and now is the right time to build a global business that can produce million dollar cheques, and I am thinking per month and in US$! Next, all you need is the right vehicle with the right products – not any company and any product.

Are you going to pass up this opportunity of a lifetime and continue to gripe about life being hard in resource-poor Singapore? Or are you going to take advantage of Singapore’s unique global advantage and turn its connectedness into a currently-unimaginable personal fortune?

I have made my choice, and will continue to steadfastly build my global pipeline to realize what some may call my global pipedream.

How about you? The choice is yours, has always been.

Lim Eng Hai
11 September 2002
– a day to celebrate humanity

A partnership we are proud of

2011-08-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

It took us 2 years to get from a conversation over lunch at the Raffles Hotel to this joint honour of having a permanent slot next to each other on Unicity Singapore's Wall of Fame, under the label, The President's Club. Shalina and I will work closely together, employing the awesome people-enabling system, Unipower, to help raise another 100 and more President's Club members. OK, who's next?

Shalina, Welcome to the President's Club!

2011-07-28T17:58:00.000-07:00

Yes, more than a pretty face, indeed ... A Leader with Beauty, Vision, Power, Tenacity and Results!

In January 2009, Shalina, a hardworking mother of two with 3 paying jobs and one non-paying passion to her name, was awarded a box of Bios Life Slim for being among the winners in a beauty pageant for beautiful moms. She was a runner-up in the Ibu of The Year 2009 contest held at Orchid Country Club.

In July 2009, on our follow-up and encouragement, Shalina finally decided to use the product diligently in preparation for the Mrs Universe pageant in Latvia, where she represented Singapore as Mrs Singapore Universe.

On 19 August 2009, on her return from Latvia as Mrs Best Smile (living up to her name Shalina Ismail (read, Is-smile)), I met with Shalina to show her how she can leverage her life experiences todate, both the happy ones and the not so happy ones, and translate them all into something big and hugely valuable, through The Happy Life Project. We met over lunch at the Tiffin Room in Raffles Hotel, a classy venue befitting a beauty queen, I had said :)

Shalina saw some possibilities, and signed up on the spot, opening a franchise account with Unicity that very day.

A few days later, on 22 August 2009, right smack in the middle of "Puasa" or fasting month, Sha attended her first big meeting, a Super OPP at Suntec City, and met with Triple Diamond Khun Joe and CEO Stewart Hughes.

She saw something, confirming that she wanted to build a personal franchise with Unicity, but missed somethings. She went about sharing Unicity's great products, especially Bios Life Slim, generating quite a lot of orders but at the expense of her already highly-constrained time. Her time constraint kept her from much-needed training and exposure to the Unipower system.

In February 2010, after persistent never-give-up enrollment by her leaders, she attended Unicity's Global Convention in Bangkok. There, she caught a bigger, sharper, stronger vision of what's possible for her in the Happy Life Project, with the Unipower system. She met her idol, her role model - Khun Rasa Comeban, the first female Triple Diamond in the world of Unicity.

Shalina returned to Singapore a good follower, open and ready to plug into the system, drawing power from the system, and the system's training, events and leaders, not herself. She has not looked back since, moving forward with stealth and great speed, climbing the pin ranks every quarter.

Today, 18 months after she caught the full vision and decided to succeed with the Unipower system, Shalina becomes a fully-qualified Presidential Director in Unicity.

Shalina is now "jobless", having quitted all the jobs that previously locked up almost all her time and attention but never did pay her enough to meet her needs and daily expenses. But she's never been better paid. She enjoys a 5-figure monthly income which she richly deserves.

Shalina, Welcome to the President's Club!

You will be joining me, and Nancy Long, and Aaron Ong, on The Wall at our office in HDB Hub, Toa Payoh, very soon.

From that vantage position, we have a big task ahead of us, to fulfill with great passion, pleasure and purpose - to inspire many more people to take control of their health, their finances, their time and their life so as to achieve Health, Wealth, Freedom and HAPPINESS!

We're in the Business of Uplifting People

2011-07-28T17:44:00.000-07:00

13 July 2011. Orchard Parade Hotel. Before the Ballroom doors open.... Recognition plaque and pins all laid out, ready to be awarded to the achievers. So many new managers, senior managers and executive managers to recognize.

So many new Directors, a few Senior Directors, an Executive Director and an upcoming Presidential Director ... All enjoying good 4 to 5-digit incomes, the first taste of real lasting wealth, and much better health with good looks and great complexion to prove that!

That's why there is that one plaque, mine.... Just over 2 years of Unipower system, April 2009 - June 2011, and this is the result we are creating. The best part is this is only the beginning.

Fast forward by one month.. 13 August 2011, location: Bangkok - Impact at Muangthong Thani ... Another such plaque, among many others, will be presented to our next fully-qualified Presidential Director from Singapore, an achievement that warms my heart, fills my being with a deep joy, a result that validates the power we now have to create and recreate more and more success.

Shalina Ismail, welcome to the President's Club!

Let's Reach Within To Embrace Humanity

2011-07-03T01:53:00.000-07:00

On 1st July 2011, I took on being President of The Rotary Club of Pandan Valley for the Rotary Year 2011/12. On the evening of 2nd July 2011, we had the Installation Dinner at The Tanglin Club, in the august Churchill Rooom. I shared the following thoughts with the some 200 guests at the dinner, Rotarians and their family and friends. I said ...

"Rotary, as I have come to know it through my time in the Rotary Club of Pandan Valley, is a fine fellowship of men and women of substance, pooling together time, talent and resources to do good, making a difference to humanity, locally and globally.

This is my choice of 28 words to describe what Rotary means to me personally. You can find these 28 words among other 28-word selections contributed by all our active Past Presidents featured in our souvenir magazine. Please have a good look when you can.

To be in the midst of the many fine people that make up the Rotary Club of Pandan Valley is, in itself, already, a great privilege.

To be given the opportunity to serve as your President adds great honour to that privilege.

I thank all the members for entrusting me with the leadership of this distinguished club, a club which I believe to be one of the finest of Rotary Clubs in Singapore and District 3310. If you agree, let’s have a rousing applause for that.

I accept the responsibility that comes with it. It is the responsibility to continue the good work, and maintain the happy camaraderie that the club is well-regarded for, over the past 28 years of “Service Above Self”, and by our actions and work, to promote the good 100-over years old name of Rotary.

I would like to acknowledge the 14 other Rotarians who agreed to serve with me in the Board of Directors for the Rotary Year 2011/12. I’d like to introduce them all at the end of my address tonight. The group of 14 includes 7 Past Presidents, whose wise counsel we would do well to tap.

I am heartened and encouraged by their support, so readily given when asked for. Thank You! I know that ours is not a lonely endeavor. This is no one man show, not for the President nor for any of the service directors. Instead, it is the coming together of a wealth of experience, great wisdom and diverse strengths and vocational expertise.

With our combined time, talent and treasures, we can do great things.

In the new Rotary Year, we are called by the President of Rotary International, Kalyan Banerjee, to “Reach Within To Embrace Humanity”.

If you were to “Reach Within” now, and what will we find?

I believe that when we do that, reaching within, we will get in touch with our inner man, our own humanity. We will feel our heart and rediscover in our heart a deep desire to make a difference in the life of others. We will find a great capacity to love our fellow human beings, be they family, friends or friends whom we have not yet met.

We will then find it only natural to willingly dig into our treasure box, tap into our time - despite our already being busy with our life and work, and draw upon our respective talents, all for the purpose of doing good and serving others who make up the beautiful Humanity that we belong to, the Humanity that is the greatest Creation of God!

That is why those of us who are already Rotarians are in Rotary.

That is why some of our guests tonight, I believe, will find their way into Rotary, and put their life into the work of Rotary.

If that’s you, please come have a chat with us. Let’s have a conversation to confirm that we have a good fit. The Rotary Club, 47-members strong right now, is open to taking on a few new members this year, just as we have done in each of the past several years. We will never have enough good people. More hands, and more hearts, will make the great work, LIGHT.

In the Rotary Club of Pandan Valley, we do not need to fear hard work. Firstly, because we are doing only our heart’s work. Secondly, because with so many good people around, everyone needs to do only a little bit, and together we can do really a lot of good.

As a fitting close to my speech, it’s my great pleasure to present to you all the good people who have agreed to serve with me in the Board of Directors for the Rotary Year 2011/12. These are the good people who have agreed to step up to the call to Reach Within To Embrace Humanity, and make a difference to our community and the world we live in, through the Rotary Club of Pandan Valley.

Please allow me to present to you …..

1. Vice President, PP Peter Yap (away)
2. President-Elect, Rtn Tan Wah Yuan
3. Immediate Past President, Michael Loh
4. Hon Secretary, Rtn Anil Changaroth, concurrently Chairman of Club Administration
5. Hon. Treasurer, Rtn Alice Yim
6. Directors, Community Service, PP Choe Peng Sum
7. International Service, PP Jeffrey Seow
8. Membership, PP Dr Richard Guan
9. Public Relations, PP Cynthia Tan
10. Vocational Service, Rtn Elsie Chua, concurrently Chairman of Service Projects
11. Club Service, Rtn Rajamohan Munisamy
12. New Generations Service, Rtn Patrick Cheo
13. Sergeant at Arms I, Rtn Dennis Wee
14. Sergeant at Arms II, PP Pang Boon Seng (away)

Please give them all a BIG HAND!

Thank You!"

Live Life Happy.. Die with no regrets :)

2011-06-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends

The article below, sent to me by a friend, has been going around the Internet, and a similar article was published in the New Paper recently.

It's about 5 top regrets that people have on their deathbeds.

To all of us in The Happy Life Project, if we'd choose to believe and take seriously what we have in our hands, and work on the project till it is complete, we will not be among those with such regrets in life.

Please read on.

++++++++++++++

"5 top regrets people have on their deathbeds"
by Ms Bronnie Ware, who has worked with the dying for many years

While we are all bound to have some regrets in life, here are the top 5.

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

Ware said that this was the most common regret of all. It’s easy to let our dreams slip by due to circumstances or decisions that we’ve made. These choices mark the divide between living a fulfilled life or one that is full of regrets. It’s important that we aim to achieve at least some of our dreams along the way. We often put off trying for our dreams due to a myriad of reasons. Before we know it, we would have lost our health and therefore, our chance to attain them.

If your dream is to start a business, get to it. If it’s to learn how to dance or try skydiving, book a class. If you want to make music, pick up a guitar.

Don’t put it off any longer.

2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.

In between having to make ends meet and aiming for a luxurious lifestyle, it’s easy to see why we get caught up with our work.

Ware said that this was a common regret of male patients who didn’t manage to spend enough time with their family.

It’s easy to get caught up in the rat race, but remember to set aside some time for the important things in life. Most importantly, you will have to understand why you do what you do. Is it for your own personal achievement, for family, or for a higher calling?

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

Hands up anyone who has suppressed their feelings in order to avoid potential embarrassment or argument.

Avoiding arguments is good for a harmonious life, but the problem comes when we take it too far. When we blindly follow the opinions of someone more assertive just to avoid arguments, we’re short-changing ourselves.

While it’s understandable that we use Twitter and blogging to rant about things we are unhappy with, do remember that talking about it face-to-face is always a more sincere option.

So if an issue is major enough, try approaching the person for an honest and frank chat. We’re not saying that the talk will be smooth sailing, but your relationships will emerge stronger and healthier.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

It’s easy to lose touch with good friends. A busy lifestyle can take away time from the ones you love. This is where technology comes in.

With services like Facebook, WhatsApp and Yahoo! Messenger, it’s easy to keep tabs on old friends. Talking to friends is so effortless today that we have no reason to let staying in touch with friends take a backseat.

At the end of the day though, nothing beats chatting over a cup of coffee. So always remember to occasionally take things offline and catch up with your friends the old fashioned way.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

'Many don't realize until the end that happiness is a choice’, said Ware in her blog post.

This is very true. Happiness is something that we choose for ourselves. Many get upset over the circumstances in their lives. What they do not realize is that they can choose to face difficulties with a smile.

Take a moment and enjoy life. If difficulties come your way, remember that pain is inevitable but wallowing in misery is always optional.

Choose to be happy.

++++++++++++

And I should add, don't just choose to be happy (for without a vehicle and the supportive structure, it will be difficult to keep at being happy).

Choose the Happy Life Project!

Why? Because ...

1) You will be challenged to live the life of your dreams, and encouraged to stay focused on what matters to you;

2) You will work hard, and work smart, using leverage power, for only a short time, only 3-5 years - not the rest of your able-bodied life;

3) You will have ample opportunities to get in touch with your deeper-most heart-felt feelings and be encouraged to share them with people who matter;

4) You will be very in touch with family and friends, day to day, for ours is the business of life and living life well everyday even as we journey to our prize;

5) You will not only be happier, you will be 100% Happy - Healthy, Wealthy, Free of the usual universal concerns over money, time and health.

We are blessed to know and to have the Happy Life Project. Let's keep sharing!

Eng Hai
www.happylifeproject.info

The Business of Uplifting People

2011-05-08T22:40:00.000-07:00

Many people out there have bad things to say about network marketing, based either on hearsay or their own unfortunate experiences. However, I believe that if only they knew what we, the professionals of the industry, know, they'd start thinking, speaking and feeling differently.

In addition, in the words of a very successful leader, who achieved a 6-figure monthly income within 3-4 years, they might discover in network marketing what they've always been seeking all these years. He said: "Don't say 'No' to something you don't know much about, yet. How do you know it's not what you've been looking for all these years?"

Here, I'd like to share an article I contributed to the industry-defining book, "It's Time .. For Network Marketing". The book, published in 2007, was edited by John Milton Fogg, author of another, earlier network marketing classic, The Greatest Networker In The World. I'm proud to be one of the book's 52 contributors.

To get to the article, 'Celebrating Network Marketing: The Business of Uplifting People', you can copy the link below and paste it to your Internet browser, or maybe even just click through:

http://thegreatestnetworker.org/Library/Articles/ItsTime/CelebratingNetworkMarketing-TheBusinessofUpliftingPeople-LimEngHai.pdf

Happy Reading! Contact me if you'd like me to help you with any question or concerns.

How many sides does a coin have?

2011-04-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

I'd like to share with you one of my favourite "paradigm shift" games. It starts with the above question. I repeat..

HOW MANY SIDES DOES A COIN HAVE?

If you are like most people I've played this game with, you'd say, "Two". Some would say the same with emphasis, "Two, of course!". Some might even think, what a dumb question, and please be assured, I wouldn't be bothered whatever it is you might be thinking ;)

If "two" is your answer, then, I'd like to invite you to pick up a coin, feel it, and examine it closely.

Again, if you are like most people I've played this game with, you'd have that "Aha" look, and then, you'd say, probably tentatively, "Three?"

Now, think about this. Where did the third side suddenly spring out from when all of our life, we've been taught and conditioned to think that the coin has only two sides? It's that little-noticed, often-overlooked edge of the coin that goes around the coin, right?

That tells us a lot about life.

Most people go through life with the conventional wisdom, thinking "there are two sides to the coin". When confronted with a negative situation, quite a number of us would have the presence of mind to pause, and think, "Hey there's always a positive side to every negative situation." That'd be what is normally referred to as a case of Thinking Positive.

Lots of books and chapters in books have been written about thinking positive. Ever wndered why? Would you agree that's because too many people tend to look too much at only one side of the coin - the negative side?

How far away is the positive side of things? It's only on the other side - a flip of the coin away, isn't it? So easy to do (yet so easy not to do).

Now, if we were to train ourselves to think positive, where and how far could we go with Positive Thinking? By and large, it'd help us smile our way through adversities, and even be able to see the lighter side of a bad situation. Or, we'd learn to philosophically accept things that we think or tell ourselves we cannot change. (Desiderata?)

This is where I'd like to introduce the 3rd side of the coin.

Side 1 - Negative
Side 2 - Positive
Side 3 - ??????

What would you call the 3rd side?

I'd call it, Creative. Yes, the Creative "Make Things Happen" Side, my favourite side of the coin of life.

To think positive is to simply try to look at things from the other side, and attempt to be less unhappy about an unhappy situation. To think creative is to look for a way or for ways to make a difference to the situation, and turn it arund to advantage.

Being Creative involves a lot more work than just passively thinking positive. Being Creative is Being Proactive.

Let's go back to the coin. In a way, being positive is no different from being negative. Doing either leaves us lying flat on the other side! Nothing else happens.

Try standing the coin on the 3rd side. Unless you lock the coin into a dent or a groove, the coin wouldn't stand still. It would be dynamic, tending to be in motion, moving forward (or backward), rolling away from its starting position. Yes?

Now think further. With the 3rd side, we can do some fun things. We can make the coin dance! Give it a firm twist at the top (and I'm sure you've done this before) and the coin will spin around like a ballerina. It'd then make some whirring noise while in motion, and as it slows down, it will make even more noise, until it comes to a complete stop. What can you get from this picture?

I invite you to stretch your mind's eyes. Feel for, and look out for, the 3rd side of the coin of life. That's the side where we get dynamic, get into motion. That's the side where we get the chance to dance ... the Dance of Life.

Let's go beyond just Thinking Positive; let's Think Creative. Let's Make Things Happen!

If you want to be happy, and make your life better, don't just think positive. Go do something about it, get dynamic, and stay in motion.

A creative thought by Lim Eng Hai :)

Dream, Choose, Commit, Begin ... Now!

2011-03-23T15:37:00.000-07:00

Sage advice for all of us who have chance upon a great idea ....

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. WHATEVER YOU CAN DO, OR DREAM YOU CAN DO, BEGIN IT. BOLDNESS HAS GENIUS, POWER AND MAGIC IN IT, BEGIN IT NOW."

- By William Hutchinson Murray (1913-1996), writing in his 1951 book The Scottish Himalayan Expedition, quoting the famous Johann Wolfgang von Goethe couplet at the end

The Happy Life Project

2011-02-16T18:10:00.000-08:00

Welcome to a discourse on The Happy Life Project, a life-work which I am proud of and happy to share freely and openly.

Here's a preview of what the project is all about.

Ever heard the oft-quoted conventional wisdom, "Money Isn't Everything"? We agree. It isn't.

If we were to ask you, between Money, Time and Health, which of these is the No 1 priority in your life right now? Would it be Money? Or Time? Or Health? Which is it?

From numerous conversations with people from all walks of life, 8 out of 10 will pick Health. It doesn't necessarily mean they have a present health crisis. Of the rest, most will choose Money and some will choose Time.

However, has it ever occurred to you that most people do live their life like "Money Is Everything", despite what the conventional wisdom says?

Well, did you notice most people give up a lot of their time, including precious time with children and loved ones, for many years, even decades, trying to make money and then, more money? They work so hard that they compromise on their health and well-being, taking on more stress than is good for the human body. In the process, they lose their health. Then, after many years of making and saving money, they'd have to spend all of their hard-earned money to buy back the health that they lost. No wonder people say "Money Isn't Everything"!

Nobody likes to live their life like that, but many don’t know how else to live. In many cases, people end up resigned and cynical, sighing and saying, "Oh well, life's like that".

Well, life need not be like that at all. The Happy Life Project offers a complete solution to this near-universal dilemma.

What if we can show you how you can have more money? Make it "a lot more money" because if it is not a lot more, why waste each other's time talking? What if in the process of making a lot more money, you get to free up your time to do the things you love to do with your time? And, what if in the process of achieving that higher level of Wealth and Freedom, you get better health immediately, and in time, you get to free yourself from niggling worries about health, and how you'd look and feel and be at 65?

Wouldn't all that be great? Imagine! No more living a life of compromises. No more having to make the tough choice between more money or more time, and neglect your health for the sake of money? What if life is not about Money OR Time OR Health, but instead, Money + Time + Health?

Wouldn't you be very much happier?

Think about this. Money isn't, and wasn't ever, everything. Money is but a tool of life. So is Time and so is Health.

We want more money, more time and more health so that we can live out our life happy.

By now, you must have got the idea why we call our project THE HAPPY LIFE PROJECT.

Someone said, everybody has his or her own happy life project. Yes. However, if you don't know how, you can take the rest of your life and never get there. They call that "the rat race".

The Happy Life Project is a 3-5 year project. In 3-5 years, we can achieve passive income. Not just passive, but also massive, and also growing. Imagine, retiring in 3-5 years with Passive, Massive and Growing Income - and enjoying it long after you have stopped working.

Many people go into business for themselves in pursuit of this ideal only to find that the journey from active income to passive income takes 20-30 years. Sometimes, even 40-50 years; sometimes, never.(For the sake of clarity, active income is like this: You work, you get paid; you don't work, you don't get paid. Passive income? You work, and work and work, then you get paid and paid and paid, and the money continues even after you have stopped working.)

What do you think of working all your life till you are 80 or 90 years old, to create a passive income source for your next generation? Know of anyone who thinks (and works) like that?

Why not create that passive income for yourself to enjoy, by achieving it within 5 years, by when you'd still be young and healthy enough to enjoy the wealth?

The Happy Life Project is a powerful program, or shall I say empowering program open to all. It can deliver ..

Financial Freedom (meaning, you'd be free from financial constraints and worries)

Time Freedom (you own your time, and can do whatever you like, whenever you like with whoever you like, without asking someone else for approval), and

Health Freedom (you're free from worrying about how you'd be when you're 65).

We are talking not about a sometimes-freedom, but an all-the-time freedom; not 30% free, or 40% free, but instead 100% free.

Now, picture this: If you can achieve 100% Financial Freedom, 100% Time Freedom and 100% Health Freedom, and get it all within 3-5 years, wouldn't that be great? In The Happy Life Project, we call that The 100% Happy Life.

If you're open to finding out how this is possible for you, and checking out hard evidence that this great life has been gotten by others before you, get back to the person who told you about the project in the first place, and make an appointment for him or her to tell you more.

Come explore exciting new possibilities for yourself, working on a project where you won't have to do everything by yourself. Instead, you get to leverage on:

1) a time-tested corporate vehicle, with powerful products that many people don't know about yet but need badly and urgently;

2) a proven system for building a huge personal franchise; and

3) a professional, highly-celebrated, world-class team who will walk, run or fly with you in your journey towards success and freedom.

We are excited for you that you're even reading this preview right now. We strongly encourage you to take that first step to find out more.

Let's meet, and begin the conversation.

Yours truly in The Happy Life Project

Learning from the successful; developing ourselves

2011-01-16T17:04:00.000-08:00

What a blast of a time we had at the Unicity convention in Bangkok on 8th Jan 2011. To make sure everyone got full value from the outing, the Unipower team lined up 12 of its most successful leaders the next day to share the keys to success.

"As with all new businesses, start by learning the tricks of the trade", says Presidential Ruby Khun Nagorn Kraironnapoom (a.k.a. Khun A).

Thereafter, "to develop your income, develop yourself".

In our business today, where we are provided with a proven System that provides guaranteed results, guided by a professional world-class Team, working in the context of a time-tested Company with great products and a lucrative compensation plan, all we ever need to do is work on ourselves. As we grow, our business will grow.

We just have to make a choice, and then follow through.

As Presidential Double Diamond Khun Phawadon Nasareerat says it, "Choose, Change, Action".

Now, why might anyone not follow through?

Possibly because life is good already. "A life that is good already is the obstacle to a better life," says Khun Phawadon.

The only reason why we would step out of our comfort zone of the "good already" life is that we were shown a vision of exciting new possibilities, and we pick out something that is real and meaningful enough for us to want to strive for it. So, what is it? What is the possibility that we see for ourselves, and the possibility that would be worth working hard on ourselves for?

In The Happy Life Project, we show people the possibility for ordinary people to achieve the extraordinary result of retiring young and retiring early, in 3-5 years, with passive, massive, growing income. As Presidential Triple Diamond Khun Rasa Comeban, our "zero to hero" model for extraordinary success, puts it, our "success is not reserved for only certain types of people. Our opportunity to Make Life Better is open to all, whatever your background."

The question is, having seen the possibilities, will you let it go or will you stay focused on it till you realize it?

Consider this statement from Presidential Double Diamond Khun Phartchai Rueansit: "If you didn't know about the possibilities for passive income on the right side of the cashflow quadrant, no one can fault you. But if you knew about it and you stay poor, then you are really silly."

Khu Chairat (Mr Mam), the farmer's boy who graduated from tertiary education to get a high-status but low-paying job in a hospital, posed this question: "Why take 40 years to go from 10,000 baht a month to 50,000 baht a month, or even 7 years, when you can do it in 3-7 months?" 10,000 baht (just over S$400) is the kind of income he earned in his job as a male nurse in a hospital. And 50,000 baht (over S$2,000) is the highest potential he could have achieved if he had stuck to his job, for 40 years.

He achieved the 50,000 baht within months with The Happy Life Project. Today, just 3-5 years after he had to struggle to raise the small amount of money needed to buy a Unicity franchise (just over 30,000 baht, or about S$1,300), Khun Chairat is a Presidential Ruby with a minimum income of S$60,000, a month. He is only in his late 20s.

People with no income and little social capital can succeed in our business.

People with high income or coming from big business background would do our business, and succeed too.

Why would someone like Khun A, a third generation business owner whose family has interests in 6 different businesses, join Unicity?

"Because someone talked to me and asked me in my traditional businesses, when can I finish my work? The answer is, I cannot."

Presidential Ruby Khun Ning (Jansakorn) who used to run beauty salons and whose husband ran an aluminium products business, had this to say: "In the old business model, every time we expand, we have to put in more money. And there is no guarantee of success. In the new model, there is no need to put in more money."

So, what to do?

"Change sides. Move your ideas to those of the right side. Get serious. Take real action. Work whole-heartedly." exhorts Khun Phartchai Rueansit.

In addition, "Exercise self-management; manage your time wisely."

"Don't set conditions on your success," advise Presidential Sapphire Khun Pepsi.

She also said: "Do whatever works. Think Workability - what works and what doesn't, and you can tell that from the results. Don't think in terms of what's right and what's wrong."

Well, X = Y works, again and again. Do 10 points of the Unipower system KPI and you will earn S$4,000 a month, guaranteed. We have a growing number of success stories in Singapore and Malaysia that are validating that what has worked so well in Thailand works in Singapore and Malaysia too.

The question that we will need to ask ourselves is whether we have taken ownership and responsibility for our possibilities.

Khun Peerawat Rattanapattakul, a Presidential Sapphire in his 20s, asks: "Are you a business owner? If so, what type? A sleeping owner? After you have chosen, take ownership. Then, do the work consistently."

As a good measure of his great success, Khun Peerawat has freed his parents from the long and hard work of their autoparts business and put them in charge of a Unicity distributor service centre.

I hope this great gems of wisdom from the most successful of Unipower leaders will lift you and help you keep going, keep moving, until you too succeed like them.

I'm sharing this with you because I heed Khun Phawadon's great advice. In our business, he said: "Focus first on building people before building on your profit".

Let's all continue to develop ourselves. That's all the work that we ever need to do with the 4 Great Partners concept. That's why we go for one training after another, and several levels of training. That's why we read the recommended books, view and listen to the CDs, attend the seminars. And we keep doing that until we finish our work, and achieve the 100% Happy Life.

Remember this Jim Rohn gem? "Don't wish it were easier; wish you were better. Don't wish for less problems; wish for more skills. Don't wish for less challenges; wish for more wisdom."

“Living the life I love and living it powerfully”

2010-10-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

I was invited to address a women's event, and speak on "Being Inspired". I accepted the invitation and then was asked for my "credentials". So, I put something together and like it enough to want to share it openly on my blog. Here's you getting to know me :)

LIM ENG HAI
“Living the life I love and living it powerfully”

Eng Hai, 49, is in “the business of inspiration”, which is to be distinguished from the traditional "business of perspiration”. (No sweat & tears; only big vision & inspired action.) He is living what he calls “the inspired life”, driven by vision and belief, which is nothing like “the contented life”, which is rooted in past disappointments and lowered expectations.

He graduated from National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Social Sciences with a good Honours in Political Science, after reading Politics, Economics and Sociology.

He started working life as a journalist with The Straits Times. He distinguished himself in his work on the financial pages and achieved what was regarded for more than 10 years thereafter as the biggest salary increment ever awarded to a rookie of 2 years' standing, both in terms of quantum as well as percentage.

Three years on, when he was dissatisfied (and lost his inspiration to excel), he readily took up an offer to join a stockbroking company. He worked at JM Sassoon & Co for 13 years, rising from a sales representative, to the position of a head of research for one market and finally, the director of research overseeing all the economic and investment research of the company.

During those 13 years, he became the public face of the company, taking on media interviews – both print and television media, in a calibrated manner, periodically. Amazingly, he remains recognizable till today although his last TV appearance was in 2003.

Two years before his company shut down, due to a massive industry shakeout, Eng Hai – who was present to the challenges of the industry, discreetly found an exit plan. He went into business for himself.

He has been his own boss ever since, taking on appointments only if they fit his own terms. These flexi-time appointments include a stint as Founding CEO of SIAS Research, a subscriber service created for retail investors who would pay for research. He is currently the CEO of the Securities (Stockbrokers) Association of Singapore.

But his preferred economic identity is as a successful network marketing professional, a long-standing leader and proven coach who inspires thousands of people in the region and beyond to live life of their dreams and to stand for exciting possibilities in their lives. (Ask him about X = Y.)

Mastering the Art of Living

2010-09-28T18:12:00.000-07:00

"A person who is a master in the art of living makes little distinction between their work and their play, their labour and their leisure, their mind and their body, their education and their recreation, their love and religion. They hardly know which is which and simply pursue their vision of excellence and grace. Whatever they do, leaving others to decide whether they are working or playing, to them, they are always doing both." - Landmark Education

The above, a priceless insight on how to live a life we love and how to live it powerfully, reminds me of one of the Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, where it is said poor or unsuccessful people think in terms of either/or whereas rich and successful people think in terms of both. Hey, how about ALL?

Your Stepping Stones to Success: Walk on them

2010-09-19T17:17:00.000-07:00

Ever so often in our business of sharing a great idea and many great possibilities for people, we get a "No" for a response. Recently, I received a SMS from a long-time business associate, who said: "I just got 2 No's today. Disappointed. Sigh."

My immediate response was to reply: "Congratulations".

Lest she think I am cavalier about her feelings, I later explained by email, "Why sigh with disappointment (when you get a few No's) when you can smile with anticipation?" Surely, we got to work through the No's to get to the "Yes". And if we don't get enough No's, we won't get to the "Yes"!

Experience confirms that we will get more No's than we will get "Yes". Why is that so? Well, that's life! Isn't that our growing up experience? Isn't that our children's growing up experience? I say, it's easier for us to just accept it, and work with it, than to ask, Why Why Why.

Let's not get emotional with every "No" that we get. A No is just that - a No. It's not even what many tend to call a "rejection" - an emotionally-laden interpretation of a simple two-letter word.

OK OK, if you must have any emotion, try being excited! Why? Because every "No" does indeed bring us closer to the "Yes".

So, come on, straighten up your back and shoulders. Steady yourself. Put that beautiful (or handsome) smile back on your face. Go all out again and again to get as many No's as you can get because you know, that simply brings you the next Yes and another Yes and another Yes ..

Hey, the No's are but the Stepping Stones to Success. See that photo at the top, of a favourite poster of mine that I stick behind the door of a wardrobe in my son's bedroom. I want him to grow up knowing that.

"Don't Quit", it says. "Every obstacle is a stepping to success."

So, if success in life and whatever you do is what you want, do yourself this favour: Walk boldly .. on the stepping stones to your success!

I wish you every success that you deserve.

"Tiap-tiap orang buat sedikit, sama sama kita sampai puncak bukit"

2010-08-02T18:35:00.000-07:00

Fresh from the recent recognition rallies, where we recognized new Managers, Senior Managers and Executive Managers in Unicity in Singapore (July 24th) and Malaysia (July 29th), I am very happy to report that we have another wave of rank advancements.

We have a new Director in our midst. She is our beauty queen, Mrs Singapore Universe 2009, Shalina Ismail (3rd from right)!

Sha achieved this rank advancement within 6 months of making the decision to take the Unicity business seriously, and to work with the Team, instead of working alone.

Sha had led a hyper-busy life of a beauty queen with endless social obligations and engagements, a mother of two adorable kids, a working woman with 3 jobs - a senior executive in an events & marketing company, a freelance tour guide and freelance teacher of business to secondary school students, and a highly sociable person with an active facebook presence who is a friend with listening ears and caring heart to many.

It took Vision and Belief to squeeze Unicity into Shalina's already-busy life, and then make it a top priority. A trip to Thailand in February to attend Unicity's Global Convention helped Shalina envision exciting new possibilities for herself and her children. It led her to reset her priorities. She spent more time talking to people about The Happy Life Project, bringing people to the Unicity office and Unipower functions. Sha made time to attend the UPS in Bangkok too. Six months after her decision, Shalina became a Director in Unicity.

Faizal (2nd from left), congratulations to you too, on your advance to Executive Manager. Faizal epitomizes the Power of Being the 1st Follower - the subject of an interesting new video on Youtube/Facebook. Every leader who dared to be different starts with at least one follower, and Faizal is that One. I remember Shalina attending her first Super OPP in August 2009, a meeting which had the privilege of the powerful presence of CEO Stewart Hughes and Presidential Triple Diamond Khun Joe. Sha had two tickets - her first two tickets to a ticketed Unipower function. Her guest was Faizal. After the Super OPP, he followed Sha to the office a few times, and before too long, he too made a decision. Faizal has since transformed from being a quiet, private person, whose character was hardened by many faceless years in government service, into an outspoken, public personality, quick to bring people together, not shy to share his views. Well done, Faizal.

We are also very proud of the achievement of Nurashikin Abu Bakar (3rd from left), a working mother of three. She achieved a triple promotion to Executive Manager in her first full month in the business. Nura joined Unicity with Shalina as her recruiter in late June. Nura became an Executive Manager in July! Nura enjoys the enthusiastic and whole-hearted support of her husband, Muhammad Murtadha Maricar (the chap with the "Diamond Kungfu" pose in front of everyone). He was at first a reluctant user of the products which Nura brought back home from her shopping at Unicity. She shrewdly fed him with Nature's Tea and Bios Life Slim, during the World Cup, when his defences were down and resistance was low, with his body mass plonked in front of the TV, nights!

Muhammad had a moving experience the very next day. Two weeks later, he shed 5kg. Three weeks later, he was 7kg lighter, and wearing his belt three holes tighter. The experience woke him up to the power of Unicity's products. His visit to the office woke him up to the power and camaraderie of the Team. Nura and Muhammad decided quickly they wanted to succeed, big time and fast. They want to qualify for a free trip to Japan in November. The decision, and the quick action that followed, led to their impressive result. Congratulations to our power couple, Nura and Muhammad.

Shalina, Faizal, Nura and Muhammad, we all in the Unipower team are very proud of your achievements. This is an important breakthrough for all of us in Unicity Singapore and Malaysia. Your result validates the Unipower formula for success, X = Y. Your success affirms the 4 Partners concept, where we do not work alone, but instead work with a world-class team, a time-tested company with great products that people want and need, Unicity, and a proven system with guaranteed results, Unipower. I believe your results will inspire may others.

Traditionally, the thinking is "Sedikit sedikit, lama lama menjadi bukit". This Malay idiom, which refers to the labour of the hardworking ants, means "Bit by bit, over a long period of time, we get to create a hill. With our 4 Partners Concept, we have humanize the concept and created something more empowering:

"TIAP-TIAP ORANG BUAT SEDIKIT, SAMA SAMA KITA SAMPAI PUNCAK BUKIT."

The meaning: Everyone do their little bit, together we will get to the peak.

My Acres of Diamonds

2010-07-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

My Acres of Diamonds, they are all around me.. they cover a pretty big regional footprint ... Singapore, Malaysia, Hongkong, Thailand, Indonesia ... Now, what (or who) do you think "diamonds" look like? ;)

Diamonds!!!! Don't miss those right under your feet!

2010-07-25T18:40:00.000-07:00

In the course of building my Network and coaching new people in setting up their own global distribution franchise, specialising in products that address everybody's everyday health concerns, I often come across new distributors who get very excited about the potential of opening up exciting new markets. Like Thailand? Indonesia? India? China? Europe?

Whenever I have the chance, I'd advise these new apprentices against flying here, flying there and flying everywhere. Usually, the price of doing all that is disappoinment - massive costly disappointment. We're all familiar with the saying, "Rolling stones gather no moss". It is true. I've been there, done that. It's confirmed, as if I needed to :)

Besides, how can we build in other people's country if we don't first build well in our own? Furthermore, it takes a Turk, not a German, to build the Turkey market. I am quoting Gursel Ayikbaba, a handsome, battle-hardened Turkish leader sponsored into the business in Germany by the Diamond from Nurenberg, Gerhard Reuhausser, both of whom I had the privilege of meeting in Bangkok recently.

The story that captures and conveys, tells and retells, this advice best is the story about The Acres of Diamonds. Here, I quote a recent re-telling of the story in an email from Bob Proctor's Insight of the Day based on excerpts from a radio show, Our Changing World,
by Earl Nightingale, 1921-1989, author of The Strangest Secret.

"Acres of Diamonds

One of the most interesting Americans who lived in the 19th century was a man by the name of Russell Herman Conwell. He was born in 1843 and lived until 1925. He was a lawyer for about 15 years until he became a clergyman.

One day, a young man went to him and told him he wanted a college education but couldn't swing it financially. Dr Conwell decided, at that moment, what his aim in life was, besides being a man of the cloth - that is. He decided to build a university for unfortunate, but deserving, students. He did have a challenge however. He would need a few million dollars to build the university. For Dr Conwell, and anyone with real purpose in life, nothing could stand in the way of his goal.

Several years before this incident, Dr Conwell was tremendously intrigued by a true story - with its ageless moral. The story was about a farmer who lived in Africa and through a visitor became tremendusly excited about looking for diamonds. Diamonds were already discovered in abundance on the African continent and the farmer got so excited about the idea of millions of dollars worth of diamonds that he sold his farm to head out to the diamond line. He wandered all over the continent, as the years slipped by, constantly searching for diamonds, wealth he never found. Eventualy, he went completely broke and threw himself into a river and drowned.

Meanwhile, the new owner of his farm picked up an unusual looking rock about the size of a country egg and put it on his mantle as a sort of curiosity. A visitor stopped by and in viewing the rock practically went into terminal convulsions. He told the new owner of the farm that the funny looking rock on his mantle was about the biggest diamond that had ever been found. The new owner of the farm said, "Heck, the whole farm is covered with them" - and sure enough it was.

The farm turned out to be Kimberley Diamond Mine .. the richest the world has ever know. The original farmer was literally standing on "Acres of Diamonds" until he sold his farm.

Dr Conwell learned from the story of the farmer and continued to teach its moral. Each of us is right in the middle of our own "Acres of Diamonds", if only we would realize it and develop the ground we are standing on before charging off in search of greener pastures. Dr Conwell told this story many times and attracted enormous audiences. He told the story long enough to have raised the money to start the college for underprivileged deserving students. In fact, he raised 6 million dollars and the university he founded, Temple University in Philadelphia, has at least ten degree-granting colleges and six other schools.

When Dr Russel H Conwell talked about each of us being right on our own "Acres of Diamonds", he meant it. This story does not get old .. it will be true forever.

Opportunity does not just come along - it is there all the time - we just have to see it."

The Greatest of All Life Skills

2010-06-17T18:03:00.000-07:00

If you were asked to identify the Greatest of All Life Skills, the one thing that will help get you whatever you want in life, and give you happiness in your interactions with family, friends and other people, what would you pick?

Imagination? Visualization? Learning? Teaching & Coaching? Parenting? Making Things? Selling? Communication? Public Speaking? Having Empathy (EQ) for people? Caring & Sharing?

What's your pick? Is it something else? If so, what is it?

I pick Listening, which is to be distinguished from Communication. Aren't they the same thing, some may ask. No, because communication involves not just listening but speaking too. Listening is only a part of communication, though a very important part, without which there can be no meaningful communication. Without listening, I'd suggest, we also cannot do well many of the other things listed above e.g. parenting, caring & sharing, teaching & coaching, selling.

I sat in a workshop recently where some very wise and successful people shared this simple idea that all communication must have 3 components: the transmitter, the message and the receiver.

We need the transmitter to send out the message and the receiver to get it. There's never a lack of messages to send or receive in our information-rich world. Of the other two components, guess which one is under-developed or under-used: Transmitter? Or receiver? (Answer: Receiver!)

When thinking of the receiver, let's think of how the dial of a receiver is often not turned on full, or perhaps sometimes, not turned on at all, whereas the transmitter is often at work all the time, seemingly over-time. I often think about why we are created with one mouth and two ears but too often act like we were created otherwise? ;)

When I pick Listening, I don't mean listening as we habitually and carelessly practise it, but really listening i.e. listening with our heart, listening without jumping to conclusions, listening without passing judgment, listening without subjecting the message to personal processing and interpretation. Look at listening with heart this way: We let the message we receive enter our ears, go through our brains, and then sink into our heart and let it stay there. You can call that, taking the message to heart.

But how do we normally listen? The message enters one ear and we let it slip out of the other. Or we let the message enter one ear, subject it to a screening or interpretive process, and then register a message quite different from the original message!

If we could listen better, we would understand each other better. If we could understand better, we can relate to people better and connect more effectively.

In any session on life skills, how much of the time do you think we should train and workshop on the art of listening and how much time on public speaking? (I'd love to know what you think.)

By my reckoning, and you may or may not agree, the Art of Public Speaking is passe and over-rated. In contrast, the Art & Science of Listening is little appreciated, often neglected, yet holds the more important key to effective relationships at work and at home and happier, more productive communications and conversations in forums big and small, from the coffee shops to the United Nations.

If we would just learn to listen better, I believe, we can conceivably eliminate petty fights, socially costly misunderstandings, and big, destructive wars. If we'd just listen well, we'll inevitably learn to appreciate each other better, realize how similar people are, regardless of ethnic, religious, intellectual or socio-economic backgrounds, and then learn to accept and even love each other. What do you think?

One of Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People exhorts us to "Seek first to understand, then only to be understood". How are we to understand, and then be understood, if we do not first listen well?

Motivational guru Zig Ziglar says help people get whatever they want and you will get whatever you want. But how would we know what people want, let alone help them get it, if we do not first listen and find out?

Can someone think of another life skill more powerful than Listening? This is not a rhetorical question that seeks to hammer home a point, caring not for an answer. It is a listening question that seeks out a considered response. Why? Because, I think, that whatever stands above or close to Listening as the Ultimate Living Skill, we better get really good at that one too.

Happy Listening - everyday, everywhere!

Dubai Inspiration: Imagination + Resources can break all barriers

2010-05-17T23:31:00.000-07:00

Unicity, Thank You! Thanks for the best holiday I’ve ever had. I love holidays and have enjoyed many so far in my life. However, I’ve never had a 7-star holiday, in a posh resort hotel (Atlantis Paradise), in a dream city (which aptly describes Dubai, a majestic city created out sand and sea) - all fully paid for.

What a generous bonus for our business-building efforts. What a great fore-taste of the concern-free Happy Life we are working for and racing towards. What an apt and meaningful choice for big dreamers like us.

Dubai was born out of the fertile imagination of a few rich sheikhs. From the tallest buildings to the grandest shopping malls, Dubai challenges all notions of size, scale, as well as what’s thinkable and what’s doable.

Where there was only desert, they created snow. Where there was only vast expanse of sea, they created islands – on one of which the Atlantis stands. Wherever there was lack (e.g. the lack of a domestic population), they created abundance (allow the entry of large numbers of foreign workers who outnumber the locals 4:1).

Dubai proved that with imagination and resources, nothing can hold us back, and anything is possible.

Now, isn’t that what the Unicity “Make Life Better” Opportunity is all about? Awesome!

{I was in Dubai for a 5D4N incentive trip with over 600 other members of the Unipower team in Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia in March 2010. The next free trip is to the Club Med in Maldives. In our business, we work from holiday to holiday - every 3-4 months ;) Wouldn't you like to come along?}

3 Things That Make A Leader Great

2010-04-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

On April 4th 2010, I had the privilege of sitting in a hotel ballroom with thousands of others to listen to and learn from some of the greatest leaders in the Unipower Team. Here, I'd like to share what I picked up from one of them - Khun Phawadon Nasareerat, a Presidential Double Diamond and the youngest ever Unicity Diamond at 33. What was extra remarkable about his achievement was that this former public health ministry officer who was part-timing as an aerobics instructor achieved it in 3 years.

The photo shows some of us who went to Bangkok for the UPS weekend with Khun Phawadon and his new, free company-sponsored Porsche - his reward for building up a Double Diamond rank organization!

We were on our way out to get a cab after the all-day UPS Advanced Leadership Training at Rama Garden Resort on April 4th when we heard someone call out my name from the dark. It was Khun Phawadon, all dressed in black, standing in the dark under a tree (which explains why we didn't spot him before he spotted us) - next to his brand new black Porsche.

It was so nice of him to call out to us, and then, to patiently take many photos with us, individually and as a group.

Earlier in the day, Khun Phawadon spoke on the three qualities of "a legendary leader", in the league of CEO Stewart Hughes and Triple Diamond Khun Rasa. If you want to be a geat leader, have a heart for others, he said. "Having a position or the rank won't get you there; having a heart for others would."

The three things that make a legendary leader, according to Khun Phawadon, and which we created the opportunity to revisit, review, contemplate and internalize in Singapore yesterday, are:

1) Give - Be a Giver: Have the spirit, the heart and the mindset of a Giver, giving and contributing unconditionally without expecting something in return. Having the heart of a Giver helps when we go out prospecting, sharing with people the Happy Life Project, and also, when we work as a Team to make a success out of every event created to support the success of our people. A Giver doesn't stop nor get discouraged when people say "No" to our opportunity, or seem to fail to notice our contributions. A Giver contributes freely anyway, without calculating or holding back for a direct benefit.

2) Stand - Be a standpoint for your people. Stand up for your people. Stand up for what is right and what is good for them. Our people may not always agree with what we advise or advocate, but we, as the standard setter, must keep doing, sharing and promoting what is right to do, not just what we or they like to do. Set the standard that our people will look up to and that would lift them up in their lives and in their business. Let's be there for others - be other-centred; not self-centred.

3) Change - Be prepared, be willing and be ready to change. Start by changing our dressing, our attitude, our mindset, our being. Change the way we talk and the way we lead. Do not resist change. Go for all the functions or events recommended for people and leaders to achieve personal breakthroughs and transformation. Dare to change, whether or not you like it, for the sake of others. Again, let's do what is right, not just what we like.

So, let's Give, let's Stand and let's Change! A huge thanks to K. Phawadon for sharing his wisdom - a wisdom well beyond his youth, and which must have come from working the ground, building his now-gushing pipeline.

The Happy People

2010-04-06T23:31:00.001-07:00

Having fun, feeling happy and at home in Khun Joe's home in the Masterpiece Village, Bangkok

She, the Cause of the Happiness of Hundreds

2010-04-06T22:06:00.000-07:00

Just back from another Unipower Seminar in Bangkok on 3rd April, I cannot help but marvel at how our amazing business can truly Make Life Better for people from all walks of life, so thoroughly, so completely.

At the latest UPS weekend, on April 3rd-4th, 10,000 people were inspired by the brand new success stories of four guest speakers - a high-profile business owner Khun Kiin, a little-educated seashell vendor Khun Tik, a young career police officer Khun Neh, and a playful, "good for nothing" dish-washing son of a hawker who is now a young Presidential Director, Khun Nikhom Jaima.

Here, let me introduce you to just one of them - Khun Tik (see photo), the little-educated woman who sold seashells (clams, cockles, mussels and the like, I presume) in the market.

Khun Tik, who is in her 40s, is a mother of 2 with little education, a 4th Grader. Her education was disrupted when her school closed down when she was only in the 4th grade. She started working at the age of 12, selling things in the market. That's the only way she knew how to make money.

From young, she recognized the importance of money. "Money is needed to make life better". How to make more money? Work harder. So, for 20 years, she would work very hard, setting up stall in the morning market and then, in the afternoon, setting up stall in the afternoon market so as to make more money. She'd do this every day for 10 years, then 20 years.

"I am my own boss. I got money but I am not rich," she said. "I also had no time for my children." During the festivals, the kids would ask for her time. But those would be the best time to do more business. She felt bad, but she couldn't help but continue to make the same trade-off - time (from the kids) for money (to feed the children, and also her mother, who became her responsibility after her father died). Over time, her health suffered.

When introduced to the Unicity Happy Life Project, Khun Tik realized that it offered just what she needed - money, time and health.

"I cannot read, I cannot write, but I know what's in the Unipower system - the KPI, the passport to success. Whatever I didn't understand, I'd just ask my upline. I only needed to follow."

"I remember one situation when I felt fear. I was doubtful. So, I called my upline who was elsewhere. He encouraged me, telling me that I am good enough, that I can do what I had to do, and that it's OK, I should just go do it." As a result of following that advice, Khun Tik got to recruit and build a Cambodian team. They were in the hall on April 3rd, waving the Cambodian flag in grattitude and admiration for her, their leader.

Khun Tik made a hard decision early on in in her Unicity business. "I learnt that I cannot ride on two horses at one time. So I made the decision early in my business to close my stall. I became a Director in 4 months."

Now, she is a Senior Director. "What does that mean? I don't know. All I know is that I make THB100,000 a month! Also, now, I have time to see my kids. I have better health." (THB100,00 works out to over S$4,000 - a big sum of money in Thailand).

Khun Tik remembers well and takes to heart the advice that she received from everyone of her big leaders. She remembered being touched by the the kind first words of Presidential Triple Diamond Khun Rasa to her: "Do you know that you can be the cause of success and happiness for hundreds of people?"

She remembered being encouraged by another advice: "We don't need smart people. We just need people with strong hearts."

In closing, Khun Tik wisely said, life is about choices, and encouraged everyone to make the right choice. Choice #1, Do the work first then play. Choice #2, Play first then do the work. Choice #3, Play Play and Play and don't work. "I chose the first one," she said.

One of the most powerful thoughts that Khun Tik shared was the significance of a butterfly. "The butterfly in flapping its little wings sends out waves across the universe." We can make a big difference in the life of others.

Now, if Khun Tik can do it, why not you? Be inspired, to do something about your life, and the lives of those dear to you.

Fisher Boy: From abject poverty to a life of luxuries in 6 months

2010-03-31T20:57:00.000-07:00

Please meet Khun Num, a 21-year-old, whose personal success story kills all the excuses that people can possibly make for not making a success of their lives. You know, one of the choices in life, to make money or make excuses? Khun Num's story helps us make the right choice.

Khun Num hails from the southern Thai province of Surat Thani. His father, the breadwinner of his family, died when he was still very young, of pre-school age. To help his family out, and to see himself through school, he had to start working from the young age of 10. Khun Num would work by night, going out to sea with the fishermen, and in the day, he would go to school like all the other kids.

However, he'd have to walk miles to school for that was the only "transport" he could afford. On the way, he would look longingly, and often hungrily, at the food plied along the way, but he would have to settle for the only staple his family could afford - instant noodles, which he got to eat only when he reached home.

To people who heard his story, he came to be known as Noodle Boy and to me, the Fisher Boy.

When he reached high school age, Khun Num wanted to secure for himself a brighter future. He wanted to enroll himself into a technical school. But the school fees were too high. That didn't stop him from opening his mouth or what some people would say, "trying his luck". Well, he got lucky! He approached the school, declared his interest but pleaded that he had only a little money to afford a portion of the fees. The school, moved by his plea, and probably his quiet but steely determination (which remains evident today), agreed to take him in, letting him pay only what he could afford!

Some 6 months ago, in mid-2009, someone from the Unipower team in Unicity Thailand approached him, asking, "Do you want to be rich?". Sure, he does. But how? He was advised, he'd not be given the fish, that means no financial help. But he'd be taught how to catch the fish, by the best teachers. Khun Num was game, and willing to learn.

Given his meagre resources, he had to struggle every step of the way, but the difficulties never stop him. Money was needed at every step of the way - opening an account with Unicity with 500 baht, buying his first two products to try - Nature's Tea and Super Chlorophyll, collecting enough orders (equivalent to over S$1,000) to upgrade his account to a Fast Start account earning higher commission of up to 20-30%, purchasing the Business Owner's Pack, enrolling for the 3-day Eagle Camp, visiting Bangkok to behold his new future in the UPS.

He epitomises the Friedrich Nietzche wisdom, "He who has a why to live for can bear almost 'any how'".

Just half a year later, on 16 January 2010, Khun Num was to stand on the UPS (Unipower Seminar) Stage, in front of more than 10,000 people. That's when I first heard his amazing story. He shared his success and how he had achieved a high income of 50,000 baht (over S$2,000) a month. He was a picture of confidence and grattitude to the many great teachers who showed him the way, and the Unipower system.

On March 20th 2010, I met Khun Num in person, face to face, in Dubai, during our all expenses paid Unicity reward holiday. I learnt from his upline and leader, Presidential Ruby Khun Nagorn (first right in the photo), that the stay at the Atlantis Paradise Hotel was another of Khun Num's personal vision realized.

As he was building up his vision of the future, he came across a video of the Atlantis Paradise of Dubai. He then said to himself, he'd certainly like to go there for a holiday one day. That dream, which predated Unicity's Dubai trip announcement, has so very quickly become reality for Khun Num.

Other dreams will be realized as this very pleasant fellow, who walks ramrod straight with quiet confidence and a ready smile, continues to walk steadily and consistently towards his new life.

Everytime I think or talk about Khun Num, I can't help feeling that that his personal triumph over adversities - his quick rise from poverty to a life of riches and exciting new possibilities, with the help of Unicity the company and Unipower the people-enabling business-building system - simply empowers others to succeed. His story takes away all the excuses from our doing whatever we have to, to get the life that we want.

Be Inspired. Be Blessed!

You Can Do It: Be the Success that You Dream of

2010-02-17T17:04:00.000-08:00

We don't have to be clever and figure everything out by ourselves. The greatest wisdoms have been retold and retold for generations. Pick and choose something that makes you better, happier.

Pick a favourite or two or more from the following "Bob Proctor's Insights of the Day" which I have selected from my collection for you to consider and internalize (i.e. to make a part of you)...

"If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse; however, if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become that." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1749-1832, Author and Philosopher

"Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not; it is the first lesson that ought to be learned; and however early a man's training begins, it is probably the last lesson that he learns thoroughly." - Thomas H. Huxley
1825-1895, Biologist

"There comes a moment when you have to stop revving up the car and shove it into gear." - David Mahoney, Executive and Philanthropist

"Don't waste your life in doubts and fears: spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour's duties will be the best preparation for the hours or ages that follow it." - Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803-1882, Poet and Essayist

"Those with goals tend to succeed because they are focused and know where they are going, while those without goals do not." - Ted Karam, Author

"You don't get to choose how you're going to die. Or when. You can only decide how you're going to live. Now." - Joan Baez, Singer, Songwriter and Activist

"The big secret in life is that there is no secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you are willing to work. It is called massive action. Action is the gas in the tank. Without it, the car will not run." - Marcy Blochowiak, Author of No Glass Ceiling

So, choose. Choose whoever, whatever you have always wanted to be and to do. Then, just Be, just Do.

You Can Do It!

Life After Politics: An Even Higher Calling

2010-01-18T17:31:00.000-08:00

Please meet Khun Witthaya, an independent politician who served as a Senator for 7 years in Thailand's Upper House, representing a constituency near the Thai town of Khon Kaen.

He is now a Senior Director in Unicity, with big dreams of becoming a Presidential Diamond so that he can go back to his people as a politician again, serving the people regardless of their political affiliations or colours, be it "red" or "yellow", as he had done before as an independent. This time, with Unicity, he will have more power to help make life better for his people!

Khun Witthaya's entry and early success in Unicity represents a new breakthrough for Unipower. Having broken into many corporate boardrooms and upper echelons of Thai society, Unipower is now breaking into the corridors of political power.

This seasoned politician, a naturally powerful speaker on the Unipower Stage in Bangkok on Saturday, 16th January 2010 given his 7 years experience in the cut-and-thrust of Thai politics, enrolled into Unicity as a result of a dare!

His son sought to enrol dad, then out of the Thai Senate but still fraternising in political and high society. But dad feared a loss of face from associating with Network Marketing. He didn't want to be seen too near or inside a Unicity DSC (Distributor Service Centre). He'd rather wait in the car for the son to finish up for up to 2 hours.

When son persisted, Khun Witthaya challenged the son to produce the 100,000 baht monthly income he talked about being able to get before he would consider. The son produced the result, and father had to keep his word.

Khun Witthaya took the UPS stage as a new Senior Director in Unicity, after being in the business for just under one year. Based on the translation of what he said, and a brief chat I had with him at Rama Garden Resort the next day, I gathered that Khun Witthaya was fully attuned to all that happens in the Unipower system. He had humbled himself to go through all the training available - from the 8 Steps Basic Training to the Eagle Camp and others. He was there at the all-day training by the two Presidential Triple Diamonds Khun Joe and Khun Rasa on Sunday, 17th Jan 2010.

On the stage, Khun Witthaya spoke of how he learnt and mastered the 8 Steps, committed to being a Core Leader, worked the 10pts a day Passport of Success programme. As a result, he produced the success that qualified him to take the UPS Stage, and wowed the crowd like no other speaker did.

From the stage, he vowed to work his way up to Presidential Diamond, inspired by the empowering leadership and fine examples of Khun Joe and Khun Rasa. His ultimate dream? "After I have succeeded as a Presidential Diamond, I will go back to my people. I will serve my people again, regardless of political colours. This time, I will be able to do more for them as I can offer them an opportunity to make life better."

That is life after politics, and then, before too long, for Khun Witthaya, a 2nd lease of political life on completing the The Happy Life Project.

What great possibilities. Awesome.

The Key to Freedom

2010-01-05T00:04:00.000-08:00

Would you like to have it? I have some to give away - both the physical "key" like this one in the picture as well as the conceptual key to freedom - financial freedom, time freedom and freedom from health concerns for the rest of your life. That's The Happy Life Project!

Sunset in Phuket's Surin Beach

2010-01-03T04:46:00.000-08:00

After the success of the 1st ever Unipower Seminar in Singapore on Dec 12th, I took my family for a make-up holiday in Phuket. It was a great holiday and this beautiful sunset captures one of our many great moments there.

It was a "make-up holiday" because we were supposed to have gone to Hongkong earlier in December, taking in a few nights at HK Disneyland, a trip to Macau and a stay at an exclusive private club which we had pre-booked almost a year in advance. But I had to cancel it because of bad timing. I couldn't possibly relax and enjoy a holiday in the week before the biggest ever event in our Unicity business ....

This Phuket trip, I could relax. Yan Ting, Jia Wei, Chris and I had fun and so did my brother in law Timothy and his family, Cally, Lucas, Hazel. Yes, it was a two-family holiday. The kids loved the extra company.

We spent hours by the beach, enjoying the clear waters of Surin, "goggling" at the marine creatures swimming among the corals. We collected hermit crabs. We went on an "island safari" and had the thrill of our life riding on elephants, ox-carts, well-polished buffalos and jeeps.. We just about managed to scrape some time to enjoy a good massage by the seaside. Speaking of massage, I should mention Yan Ting got a "massage" on her back from a show elephant, which used one of its legs. Brave girl.

We took in popular, bustling and busy Patong Beach and learnt from that excursion to appreciate even more the unspoilt beach where our hotel was located - Surin. That's where the beautiful sunset photo was taken. Truly beautiful, isn't it?

Wear Your Name With Pride: You're a Designer Brand!

2009-12-01T16:50:00.000-08:00

Gucci. Hermes. Dolce & Gabbana. Louis Vutton. Versace. Then YOU! Your Name!

Yes, you could be a Designer Brand if you want to, I told 27 student leaders at Tanglin Secondary School yesterday during a 3-hour workshop that was part of their 2-day leadership camp.

All you need to do is to live your life by design, not by default. Know where have you been, know where you are today, know where you want to go, then go where you want to go. That makes for a Designer Life.

During the 3-hour session, I got the Student Council members to work through 3 exercises.

Exercise One, think and write one-liners for 3 questions: 1) My proudest achievement todate. 2) My biggest contribution as a student leader. 3) My purpose in life.

Exercise Two, answer two questions: 1) Who is or are your role models? 2) Who or what would you like to be if you could be whoever/whatever you wanted.

Exercise Three, what do you think is the ultimate life-skill, the skill of skills, that will set you up for life. (Write it down, then let's put all your ideas on the whiteboard, and vote on them in two stages.)

So, it was not a "I talk, you listen" session. That made sure that they won't sleep on me in class ;)

The responses were interesting, naturally.

Consider these responses to One: Overcoming the "high elements" (rock climbing) after having failed the first time. Being able to understand what my grandma is saying especially because she slurs badly. Being able to pass my maths finally, after having failed it before. Scoring full marks for this or that subject ...

How about these responses to Two? My biggest contribution as a student leader is raising the flag in front of the school assembly every morning (even though I feel nervous about standing in front of everyone). I like this one - playing the national anthem during assembly. On questioning, we found that all that was involved was pressing the play button!

This contribution reminds me of the story of the New York taxi driver in the book, You Inc, who does his work with so much pride and class and style, unlike the "typical New York taxi driver", that he becomes rich on the generous tips his customers give to him. He is also a happy man on the job.

Some said their biggest contribution as a student leader was to help clean up the Student Council room. Earlier, I had seen a number of them carting old sofas, chairs and even tables to a dumpsite behind the carpark.

I invited the students to think broader, deeper. What do you think about your biggest contribution as a student leader being none other than being "Me" or "The Best of Me". Imagine, my biggest contribution as student leader is Me and what I am, what I stand for, how I live and how I'd like to live out my future today.

Being a "better you" in whatever you do would already be a big contribution, and the beautiful thing is everybody is different. That way, everybody gets to make a unique contribution to whatever they are doing :)

My favourite response to Three, What is your purpose in life, is: "Make people happy in all that I do and put a smile on their faces."

Among the few that needed help were vague responses like this: To achieve my ideal dream. To achieve my goals.

The ideal dream and the goals were unspoken, also unwritten on checking. Hey, boys and girls, if you don't dare speak them out, you won't ever get them. When you do speak them out, be sure to make it specific, make it real, make it heart-felt. Make it sound like something you really like. Then, you are more likely to achieve your dreams or goals.

I was glad to have had this fun opportunity with the student councillors of Tanglin Seconday School

This has been a Service to New Generation project of the Rotary Club of Pandan Valley project. The group of 27 included a number of Interactors i.e. members of the Interact Club of Tanglin Sec. The teacher advisor, who sat through the session with a view to implementing this as a regular feature in the future, is Mr Tan Puay Eng.

Anything is Possible, says the doctor

2009-10-25T22:13:00.000-07:00

Please meet Sureerat Wongsiriluk, a doctor who spent a total of 10 years at top Thai universities learning first how to be a pharmacist and then how to be a doctor (because she decided she wasn't going to stay as a pharmacist), only to give it all up when she was introduced to Unicity.

Khun Sureerat a.k.a. Mo Jie decided that she didn't want to "grow old and fat working all my life in a small treatment room". When introduced to Unicity, she realized quickly (in 5 minutes) that this is what she's been looking for: A business where she doesn't have to do all the work and work all of her life.

Before Unicity, Dr Sureerat, 36 and a mother of a 3-year-old boy, was more than just a doctor. She was a business owner with a healthcare business comprising 3 clinics in different locations in Thailand.

Within one year of joining Unicity, Khun Sureerat became a Presidential Director, earning more than 400,000 baht (S$16,000) a month. Halfway through that journey, she was sure enough about her new business that she stopped being a medical practitioner (although she continues to be the owner of 2 remaining clinics).

Dr Sureerat, who was in Singapore under the Unipower Business School's monthly guest speaker programme, said the biggest thing she learnt after switching line was this idea: "ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!".

She shared the story of another Presidential Director, former tour guide Khun Angel. A few days before the end of the month, Khun Angel had a 40k leg and a 20k leg but not the 10k leg needed to qualify as PD. He prayed, read a book for strength. Then, a downline showed up saying he wanted to be Director by month-end. Khun Angel spent all his time helping the downline, and by month-end, the downline was a Director earning 100,000baht (S$4,000) a month. Khun Angel finished as Presidential Director.

How about Dr Sureerat? How did she go from zero to 400,000 baht a month (S$16,000) under one year?

She said: "I started part-time, but worked full-heart. I followed the Unipower system 100% and worked with the KPI, checking 10 points of activities every day with the system's "Passport to Success".

I approached anyone and everyone. I showed the plan every day. I did the work without setting conditions. I showed the plan even at 2am at one time - for an ER (emergency room) nurse who finished work late.

I talk to my successful uplines everyday. I get them to answer my questions and solve my problems.

I was just being a student again. I listened to CDs of success stories every morning, before I went out to approach people. Listening to the CDs, and taking notes as I listened to the CDs, kept me strong.

I go out with the right mindset, that I am a giver, giving people something good for them. At 60, people retire from their income but not their expenses. We have something good to offer them."

Khun Sureerat personally recruited 18 500pv Fast Starts in her first month in the business. That took her to Director in Month 1 and Senior Director in Month 3.

"I just go about collecting "human assets" first. The results will show up after 6 months ... as the system promised," Mo Jie said. X = Y, indeed.

On handling rejections, the biggest challege for Khun Sureerat came from within the family. Her father. At first, he gave her his blessings, thinking it was only a part-time thing. However, when she closed the clinic for 3 days to go to Eagle Camp, and did the same again shortly thereafter so as to attend Unicity's global convention in Busan in September 2008, the father was angry and disappointed. They did not talk for a long time.

She invited him to join her on a reward trip to Sydney. He refused. He challenged her, saying he'd go only as a President's father. So, when she became Presidential Director, he had to tag along on a Star Cruise reward trip. He has since joined her, opening his own Unicity account and starting to recruit people!

Regarding people who say, "..but I don't like MLM", she advised, we should simply bring them back to "X = Y" and and ask, Do you like your work? No? But you still work at it! MLM is just like a job, except that the result (the Y) is very different. In MLM, we work a few hours a day and we can get a new track.

"It is not important what you think of the business. It may be your answer to The Happy Life."

Well said, Dr Sureerat. Well said!

Me & My Power Car

2009-10-16T16:58:00.000-07:00

Mercedes Benz!!!! Until recently, I never thought I'd own one nor drive in one. When I think of Mercedes Benz, I think of old wealth, old men .... Apologies to all the uncles and the non-uncles who own and drive one. So, until recently, Mercedes Benz is not the car for me.

And then, some months ago, with the arrival of Unipower in our Unicity business, I was exposed to new information, not from the distributors of the car but ... I learnt that the Benz is the preferred (or recommended) car for Unipower's members on Unicity's President's Club. Why? Because it is a widely accepted symbol of success and achievement, that others can identify with and aspire to. Because it is one of the safest cars in the world, and as our life becomes more and more valuable, we need to protect it better.

I was prepared to change my mindset and my assumptions. It helps that the timing of my achievement and obligatory follow-the-system acquisition coincides with the launch of Mercedes Benz's new E Class. The new E Class spots a more contemporary youthful look, especially at the front and on the sides. The tyres come with sports rims. And there are so many fun cool features inside.

So, to all my people in The 5E Network, meet my new workhorse. It's for you. Join me in the club, the Singapore/Malaysia Mercedes Benz Club of Unicity. Make it soon :)

Finally, the Breakthrough

2009-09-03T00:18:00.000-07:00

After exactly 8 years in the business, I finally achieved the Breakthrough. At the end of August 2009, I took the first step into Unicity's President's Club as a first-time qualified Presidential Director. So thrilled were the corporate staff at the news that they wasted no time blowing up a personal portrait of mine and posted it on the notice ooard in the Unicity office with a congratulatory message to the first PD1 in Singapore in over 7 years:) See picture.

Too long, some might say. My thoughts do occasionally gravitate towards that idea, that we took too long, until I stop myself on realizing that everything happens for a reason.

"Diamonds" do not just happen. They occur only after extreme pressure applied over a period of time. If we want to speed up the process, and shorten the time period, we just step up the pressure. I've seen both - first, the protracted test that lasted more than 7 years, and then the higher-pressure approach involving ambitious goals and demanding timelines. Now, I'd not have been as open to the latter, and even enjoy the turbo-charged results-orientated process of the last 6 months, if I didn't first go through the "water torture" of the past.

This is an important moment for me and also for all the serious business builders in the Singapore/Malaysia market. As CEO Stewart Hughes puts it in his congratulatory email: "Please accept my heartiest congratulations for leading out and being the example all of Singapore and Malaysia needed to see: IT CAN BE DONE!"

In his email, Stewart also said: "By matching your ability and desire with the UniPower System and the Unicity products and plan you can achieve anything — more importantly you can help others achieve their most cherished dreams."

Very true. I've never felt more able to help others achieve their most cherished dreams than the past 5-6 months. It was during these recent months that I was blessed enough to become equipped with the ways and wisdom of the UniPower system, the brainchild of the Thai triple diamond Chavich Kim.

Certain people who had joined me before and dropped out too soon because they did not feel able to do what I did now rejoin me in the business and get going and start producing results within the first one or two months.

This breakthrough is possible only because of what has happened in the last 6 months, from March 2009 onwards. It is a prayer answered. So, i thank God for Godsents. For me, those Godsents have first been Unicity, 8 years ago, and recently, since March 2009, Khun Joe and the UniPower system.

Live Out Your Masterpiece, says mug

2009-08-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

"Live one day at a time and make it a masterpiece," exhorts my favourite mug.

Yes, I said mug. M-U-G, mug :)

That's the encouraging and inspirational message that I get every morning when I sip Unicity's Bio Reishi Coffee from my favourite mug. It was the simple message on the mug that got my attention many years ago, and made me pick it up from the shelf, pay for it to bring it home to enjoy, every day.

I was inspired to share this daily message on my mug after I read the latest blog by "Miss Articulate" in her blogspot, "smile .. it confuses people".

She was sharing about the message on her mug, given to her by her dearest friend. The message reads:

happiness is like a butterfly:
the more you chase it, the more it will elude you,
but if you turn your attention to other things it will come
and sit softly on your shoulder....
- thoreau

Now, what does your mug say to you every morning?

Whatever it says or does not say,

"Live One day at a time
and make it a masterpiece"

Remembering the indomitable Tan Yoke Lane

2009-06-28T06:04:00.000-07:00

Tan Yoke Lane @ Dan Yoke Lin (1939 - 1989) IS my late mom - a great woman, and mother of eight, who died too young, at the age of 50, long before she had the chance to enjoy the fully-grown fruits of her labour of love.

I remember getting a phone call from my elder brother in 1986, shortly before she was due to arrive in Singapore with my dad to witness my graduation from the National University of Singapore. Eng Hooi said, "Hai, bad news. Mom's got the Big C." It was nose or nasal cancer.

She battled the cancer for 3 years and in the end, despite chemotherapy at the Penang Medical Centre, succumbed. The cancer returned after a short remission, and quickly spread to her lungs.

I remember getting news of mom's death in September 1989. I was then a dealer-in-waiting at the stockbrokers JM Sassoon & Co. I was just starting out on a second career that turned out to be financially rewarding and that lasted 13 years. But mom didn't get to see or enjoy that success of mine, a success in which she had a big hand and which she'd have been proud of.

The best holiday I could afford to give her was a holiday in Bangkok, in July 1988, with dad, one of my sisters and my then girlfriend Chris. The only luxury I could afford then was a First Class train ticket, the one with sleeping berths, on the overnight train from our hometown Butterworth to Bangkok. I am glad we managed to do at least that.

Mom wanted to have grand children to hold, and said so, many times. The best I could do was to get married in January 1989, and shortly after, arranged for her to visit Chris and me and bless our new home, our own home, in Singapore. I wanted to bring her to places, but I remember, she was generally too weak to even catch glimpses of the sights I wanted to share with her, let alone enjoy the moment. But I am glad we tried, and have beautiful photos of those precious last days. Yes, that was the last time I saw her alive ...

Recently, as I reflected upon my recent triumphs and success as a business builder working in partnership with the wellness company, Unicity International, I couldn't help thinking about mom.

I remember when I first set out on my entrepreneurial journey in Unicity, I had resolved that when I am successful, I will either put up a building in her name or have a road named after her, and simply named Tan Yoke Lane. There shall be a plaque that tells the story of an indomitable spirit whom I believe will inspire many as it continues to inspire me, I thought.

Then, recently, I thought, why wait for that building or that road? I can very well dedicate my success todate and my success to come to her, and start telling people about her. And so I did - when I was given the opportunity to share my success story in Singapore and in Kuala Lumpur last week.

Mom's life spoke of a readiness to break out of the tried and tested and keep exploring and employing new ways of getting the better life.

I remember the love story of my mom and dad, how they met in my grandmother's coffeeshop in Kuala Lumpur. She was sewing when he walked up to chat her up. She poked him with a needle, and then regretted it when his finger bled. So, she nursed and bandaged the young man's finger. Love grew out of that encounter. Later, she'd eloped with dad to Penang because her parents did not approve of her getting married to a mere lorry driver.

For many years after that, mom would return to KL every year, bringing us, the kids, along, and doing everything to make sure that her parents knew that she had made the right decision and was living a better life. She would return to KL bearing gifts and food that testified to that.

Mom and dad were to raise a family with eight children, the first of whom died young at 7 and whom she would always want us to remember. The eldest of the 7 surviving siblings is today 50 and the youngest, 35. To do this well under the watchful eyes and critical tongues of many highly-opinionated in-laws, mom reinvented herself many times.

Mom went from being a laundry woman and seamstress to a baker, learning how to make the full range of local or Nyonya "kuihs" or cakes from my Peranakan sarong kebaya-clad grandma. Mom was good at them all - from the laborious ningao (sweet cake) to the angkukuih, kuih kapik (love letters), kuih talam ... You name it, she could do it, and did it famously well. We'd be inundated with orders every Chinese Year and on festive occasions. She also headed a tontine, or informal community lending and borrowing club, where people with excess money would lend to those with cashflow problems at interest rates of up to 20% or more. Our hometown would from time to time be abuzz with bad news of a tontine leader who ran off with people's money. But mom was a beacon of strength, integrity and trustworthiness. She never suffered a run even in the worst of times.

At the height of her constantly evolving and ever-changing economic career, mom was a chef par excellence. Her cooking was well known and in great demand. I remember how a customer bought her a return air ticket to get her to KL to cook for a wedding dinner. With just one big wok and a set of cooking utensils, mom set off for the airport and flew to KL to whip up an 8-course dinner for 300 people or 30 tables. She'd normally be assisted by no more than two assistant cooks and two dishwashers, the dishwashers being none other than the elder of my three then-still-young sisters.

After every such successful outing, we would witness the arrival of a new TV, or a new refrigerator or a new hi-fi system. Mom was the reason why we were able to move from the ancestral home (kong chu) in Butterworth to a government-built terrace house (a place we could call our own, and in which relatives have no say or claim) in Seberang Jaya in 1981. Mom was the reason why the family was able to upgrade from the bicycle as a means of transport to a car about the same time as the big move.

Where was my dad in all this? After his early days as a lorry driver, dad held a job at the local bus company, moving up from driver cum conductor on the Butterworth-Alor Star route to station master in Bukit Mertajam. He worked in the same company, as long as I was aware, until he retired. His highest salary was just over RM600. Even then when money was worth more, that sum could not provide for much.

Dad, now 78 and healthy, was into current affairs (I know for I'd listen to him talk expertly about the news or politics of the day) and was once an active trade unionist. But he was never ambitious, economically speaking. Nonetheless, dad was a good man who never did anything wrong, nothing that the family would be ashamed of, and he remains so. We love and respect him for that.

The picture I have is that dad would give no trouble, but apparently, he wasn't comfortable handling trouble either. Mom once told me, if there was any problem at home, financial or otherwise, she'd have to bear it alone. Dad would not be around to hear about it, and if he did, he wouldn't have the patience for the details.

So, there you are - a story of a Hainanese woman married into a "foreign" Hokkien-speaking territory, who'd have to single-handedly do, and bear, whatever it took to first, make sure her earlier decisions in life turned out right, and second, to get for herself and her family all the amenities and trappings of the good life.

It was mom who after a well-deserved holiday and tour of Singapore returned to tell me how beautiful and inspiring the Nanyang University campus was, and how I should study hard so that I'd get to a university like that one day. It was mom who many years later would put together all the financial resources necessary, including borrowing from close trusted friends, so that I could get higher education in Singapore. I did get to Nantah when it was just a hostel for NUS students and enjoyed the campus grounds mom had told me about.

Now, so much later in life, 20 years after her passing, I look back and have so much to be thankful for. Much of my being, my character, obviously draws upon my mom's inspired life - my tenacity and toughness in the face of challenges or obstacles; my preparedness to take charge or take the lead when situations demand it; my readiness to reinvent myself career-wise to ensure my family's economic well-being. While well-meaning people would ask, why did you give up your stockbroking career and go into something so different, I think nothing of it. I am adaptable, and can change according to circumstances, thanks to mom's example.

If I had to come up with one word to remember her by, the best word would be INDOMITABLE. That means: Unyielding, unswerving, unwavering, unconquerable, unflinching, unbeatable, irrepressible, unstoppable, invincible, resolute, determined, stubbornly persistent, steadfast, staunch, untiring, tireless, unflagging, undaunted, fearless, brave, courageous, plucky ... Yes, she was all that :)

It's a great pity mom is not alive today to listen to me talk proudly of her and boast about her life exploits in public. There is nothing I or anyone can do about that. She is gone. However, there is something I can do about the fact that she lived and loved - to tell her story so that others may be inspired by her as I have been and continue to be.

What's in this story for you?

1. Live life flexibly: Be prepared to get out of your comfort zone to go after what matters most to you; and when and where necessary, be ready to reinvent yourself so as to make life better for yourself and your family.

2. Don't take it all on alone if you can help it: While willing to change according to circumstances, do not run your life like a one-man or one-woman show, if you can help it. Given the choices of her times, my mom couldn't help being Superwoman. But today, with the opening up of the economy, and the abundance of opportunities with many people-friendly economic alternatives, we certainly can help it.

3. Watch the stress level in your life: The stress of raising a whole family all by yourself can kill. I often say: While conventional wisdom says "smoking causes cancer", dad was the one who smoked cigarettes (though no longer, for many years now) but it is my mom who died of cancer. The lesson in my mom's life story is that we ought to watch the stress level. More than anything else, I believe, it is stress - be it emotional, physical, mental or economic or all of that combined - that weakens the body and undermines our ability to ward off free radicals and harmful virus, germs or toxins.

4. Do not fight cancer with only conventional treatment: When my mom was in the midst of fighting cancer, a cousin sister once asked me, "Hai, so how? What else are you going to do about it?" I remember feeling guilty and helpless at the same time, wishing there was more I could do than just pooling our financial resources to finance the medical treatment.

I wish I was as well-informed then as I am today. Alas, we can't turn back the clock. What I can do is to make sure that my mom did not live, suffer and die in vain. What I will do now is to speak with a vengeance, telling people that we can prevent cancer, and in the unfortunate situation when it is past prevention, and someone is already afflicted, we can still give him or her real hope beyond the debilitating effects of conventional treatment.

To break the remission and relapse cycle, be open to using nutritonal supplements to boost the body's defences against free radicals and also to oxygenate and alkalinize the body. During my mom's fight, Unicity or its predecessor company, Enrich, hadn't even arrived in Malaysia. Unicity is here now, ready to serve with a wide array of health-boosting wellness products, proven capable of bringing cancer patients from hopelessness or near death to a new lease of life. I personally know of a few of these blessed people and have often used this to encourage others in the fight against cancer.

Go on. My mom didn't have the chance to live a long healthy life, free of the scourge and curse of cancer. You have. My mom didn't have the chance to make life better without having to do everything by herself and taking on all the stress of making ends meet by herself. You have.

Do something about it. I have, and I am.

All this I do and speak in the memory of my beloved mom.

Thank you Mom. I love you.

Lord, thanks for the powerful winds of change!

2009-05-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Happily, I'd like to continue the blogpost of March 13.

I am glad I learnt from God's Eagle - not to be afraid of adversity or challenges, nor to flee from them, but instead, to position myself to take them on, and harness the power of the winds of change to soar higher than ever before.

The challengers turn out to be friends sent by God(see the picture), with signs to make sure we do not doubt that, and the enemies and detractors were forced by divine circumstances to be come friends and willing co-workers, lending their numbers and energies to lift us all higher.

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! God is truly GREAT!!

Friends, I've never enjoyed as much effortless success as I have since March 19th - the day things all turned around in my favour, from what seemed like a low point to a series of high points in our business development efforts. This is only the beginning of a new beginning ......

Eagles welcome storms, soar over them

2009-03-13T18:03:00.000-07:00

Thank God for creating a magnificent creature like the eagle from which we can draw so many powerful life lessons. One of these has just become especially meaningful to me, empowering me to face off one of the biggest challenges ever in my professional life. You have those challenges yourself, don't you? If so, consider this:

The eagle is not afraid of storms. It expects them.

The eagle can sense a storm coming well in advance.

It does not flee from the bad winds coming towards it. Instead, it positions itself, either on a mountain perch or in mid-air, waiting fearlessly for them.

As the winds blow in, the eagle spreads its wings, in all their magnificant glory, and let the winds blow against its wings.

In so doing, it harnesses the power of the storm to lift itself higher, soaring over the gale.

What a beautiful picture of how we can thrive in adversity and overcome our enemies or detractors, rising above them.

So, fear not. Fly high no matter what obstacles and challenges come our way.

Let challenges strengthen our resolve, sharpen our fighting edge.

Thank God for the Eagles indeed!

The Art of Socializing 101

2009-02-09T22:42:00.000-08:00

At last night’s Monday Night Seminar, a Skills Workshop led by Unicity Director Kelly Lim, we covered the topic “Prospecting: Socializing, Asking Questions & Listening, Getting the Sale”.

Kelly started by inviting participants to rate themselves on a scale of 1 to 10 how good we think we are in socializing. A handout was provided for that. After that, for those of us who rated ourselves less than 10, be it 4, 5 or 8, we were asked to list down in the space provided what we think we need to know or get good at to become a 10.

Going around the room, we obtained the following responses.

How do I create these social settings/events? How do I break the ice? How do I be comfortable at social events like a cocktail? How do I socialize with quiet, boring people? How do I draw people to me? How do I approach people without looking like you have a hidden agenda? How to break into a group that is already engaged in a conversation?

We didn’t get around to all the questions, but we got to most of them, directly or indirectly. Please find below the Q&A, based on last night's workshop, with my own additional contributions to the topic.

++++++++++++++++

Q1: How do I create these social settings/events?

A: Why create your own when you can leverage on events organized by others? Start by riding on events created by others, and readily accepting invitations to socials.

Q2: How do I break the ice?

A: Look around the room. If someone smiles at you - and there is bound to be such people, smile back, walk up to extend a hand, and say Hi. Introduce yourself by name, ask the other party for his or her name, and then move quickly to ask, "What do you do?". Then, stay on the subject - the other person and what he does, and go with the flow. Be ready to offer, in exchange and to ensure a two-way conversation, information on yourself. You are likely to be exchanging name cards very quickly. When doing so, resist the desire to make any pitch. That can come later, after the function. Focus on the other party, and what his/her name card says he/she does.

Q3: I find myself feeling comfortable at certain social events like a cocktail? How do I be comfortable?

A: It is important that we first be comfortable with ourselves – who we are, what we do, what we represent. Worry not about what people might think of us, or how smart (or dumb) we may sound with what we say. Be yourself i.e. be self-assured; not self-conscious. Focus on getting to know people, forget about thinking about what others may think of us. Let the conversations (and unspoken thoughts) not be about us; let it be about "them".

Q4: How do I socialize with quiet, boring people?

A: First, get this straight: Nobody, NOBODY, is ever boring - even less so, those who, like you, make it to a social function. Instead of focusing on yourself, being self-conscious, concentrate on looking out for someone who may be standing in a corner - alone, maybe feeling awkward. Befriend him/her. Say hello, introduce yourself and ask for his/her name in the same breath, then find out what he/she does for a living. From there, again, go with the flow. Who knows, he or she may be so grateful you made the move and help him/her be comfortable.

Q5: How do I draw people to me?

A: Be comfortable, relaxed and friendly; and be ready to be engaged in a conversation, focused on others. Self-assured people attract others; socially-awkward people turn others off.

Q6: How to approach people without looking like you have a hidden agenda?

A: Kelly had a good advice on this. The best way to never be perceived to have a hidden agenda is to not to hide your agenda in the first place!!! Be open about what you are and what you represent; be ready to give out your business cards. Just be careful not to focus on telling people about your card, but on getting them to talk about theirs.

Q7: How to break into a group that is already engaged in a conversation?

A: Do what confident, self-assured people do. Walk right up to the crowd, and say, "Hi, may I please join in?" Then, focus not on drawing attention to yourself or your opinion, but on listening in closely to others. If you must speak, ask "please tell me more"questions.

++++++++++++

As I followed the workshop discussion, last night, I was struck by how the questions and concerns revolved very much around the "Doing" - the “what to do”, and the “how to do”. I thought, How true it is that our Doing will be fine if we first get our "Being" right.

Think about this (and I am borrowing from and paraphrasing my Pastor): The right being will lead to the right doing. (My Pastor says, “The right believing begets the right living.”)

People who feel uncomfortable in social settings or who are socially awkward tend to be self-pre-occupied, overly concerned with what people think of them, what they do and what they represent. They are concerned about whether they are doing or saying the right things, thinking others are standing around and watching, ever ready to pass judgement. That is being self-preoccupied, self-conscious, self-focused.

In a few after-meeting conversations, I floated the idea of our only having to be self-assured, and to be so before we enter into a social setting.

For example, let's be sure that we are comfortable with

1) what we are (e.g. business people building up a personal franchise);
2) what we do (e.g. we sell products or opportunity; we serve customers; we recruit people to do the same and train and support them);
3) what we represent (the Bios Life Slim opportunity, and the best of MLM).

As we enter into a social setting, and engage people in conversations, we should be self-assured enough to let people know who we are by passing out our name cards and very briefly introducing ourselves (don't be shy about that), and then, move on to focus on others - getting hold of their name cards, studying those name cards as we hold them in our hands, asking questions to get to know them and find out about what they do.

Try these ideas the next time you venture into a social function. Keep the focus on others, not yourself, and let's see what happens.

My wish for you this Chinese New Year

2009-01-22T14:43:00.000-08:00

Hi, In a few days, on Jan 26th, we enter the Year Of The Ox ("Niu").

If you are celebrating the Chinese New Year, I wish you a Happy "Niu" Year, regardless of whatever is happening in the world. May you defy the constantly negative news, and enjoy all the good things in life that matter most to you:

SLIM BODY
STRONG HEART
FAT WALLET
FULFILLING WORK
HAPPY FAMILY
& STRESS-FREE LIFE.

Gong Xi Fa Cai, Keong Hee Huat Chai, Gong Hey Fatt Choy.

God Bless You :)

Behold the Power of Bios Life SLIM

2009-01-14T23:03:00.000-08:00

Please meet Ricky, our corporate staff who had been eating too much for his own good. A typical lunch for him, we learnt, was what others would count as 3 full meals, all in one.

Thanks to Bios Life Slim, he has been able to control his bingeing and get back into shape. He needs to either get new pants or revive the 5 years old ones.

Congratulations Ricky.

Nationwide health screening: 1 in 4 has the problem

2009-01-11T17:20:00.000-08:00

Reported in The Straits Times today (12 Jan 2009, page B4), "Screening programme found 38% had illnesses."

More than 1,700 people out of 4,500 who showed up for screening under the Health Promotion Board (HPB)'s Integrated Screening Programme, found out that they had diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

The report said, they would not have known if not for the screening programme offered at a subsidised rate of only S$8 per screen.

The HPB aims to diagnose these three most common chronic diseases early so that they can be treated to fore-stall life-threatening and costly complications such as heart disease and stroke.

An official praised the integrated screening programme but remarked that the poor response reflected "the nonchalant attitude of many Singaporeans towards looking after their own health". Many have the impression these medical conditions affect only others, not themselves, he added.

Another official, who thought the figures are "not too bad", speculated that people are not taking up the offer to be screened possibly because they are ignorant or complacent and under the erroneous belief that they are not at risk.

I was one of the 600,000 who received the invitation! I didn't go for it only because I already know my condition. I've been monitoring my lipid profile in the course of doing my health & nutrition business. The last time I checked my LDL is a healthy 99 - much improved from its previous 120-130!!! Thanks to Bios Life.

I wonder how many of those who didn't take up the invitation hesitated because they hold on to this often-repeated belief, "No news is good news".

I wonder too, how many of those who didn't take up the invitation hesitated because they know only too well that finding out about a problem would put them on the path of treatment - conventionally with medication, which they are smart and well informed enough to know comes with various side effects, some of which may have to be medicated in turn.

What if people knew that detecting the problem early allows them to take appropriate corrective action in a timely way, and that there are serious, workable alternatives to conventional medication that do not come with the side effects of conventional medication?

The conventional wisdom "no news is good news" is predicated on the premise that, becoming aware of a health problem may lead to other problems. What if they have the information that becoming aware of a problem can lead to a complete drug-free solution, that can blend into their lifestyle, instead of a solution that comes with other problems?

By the way, the statistics based on the 4,500 who showed up confirmed the ballpark cross-border statistics for those so-called "diseases" - high cholesterol, high bood pressure and high blood sugar. Whether it is in America, the Philippines or Singapore, 1 in 3 people who die, die because of heart attack or stroke or diabetic complications.

All the experts concede that those conditions that lead to such personal tragedies are by and large, PREVENTABLE.

Now that we're into nationwide detection, I hope some people in high places will be wise and well-informed enough, and not be blinkered by the intolerant, sometimes ideological, "pharmaceutical mindset", and instead, step up efforts to promote PREVENTION, and not just focus on TREATMENT which further enriches the trillion-dollar pharmaceutical industry.

And please, let's do better than do the dietitian mantra and preach THE BALANCE DIET. I remember a dietitian who in a public health talk, publicly declared that she does not believe in nutritional supplements, and that people do not need it so long as they maintain a balanced diet. So I raised my hand and asked her, "From your dietitian experience, how many percent of people can you reasonably expect to achieve and mantain the prescribed balanced diet?"

She refused to be committed to a percentage, but when prompted, she had to concede "less than half" ever get there. I should add a lot less than half!

In our ever-busy lives, made worse by dining out, processed food and inevitably unbalanced diet, nutritional supplements is the way. Supplements are a necessity, not a choice.

And because of vested interests, the pharmaceutical industry and their promoters do not want too many of us to get too smart and believe that. Where would their prescription drug business go if more and more of us get smart about taking care of our health?

We have always known this: Prevention is better than cure.

Now, let's get serious about practising it.

There are many good workable alternatives to conventional treatments. The information is all out there, if only you'd take the action to find out, instead of just taking the lazy way out and rely entirely on the doctor's advice.

Own Your Life! Take Charge!

Start by checking out www.bioslife.com, to find out about how a simple lifestyle change can alleviate even eliminate the risks associated with high cholesterol, high blood pressure and high blood sugar.

The Reason for the Season

2008-12-25T17:07:00.001-08:00

Hi Readers,

In my business, we teach and prepare people for the 90:10 rule. (Some say 80:20; but from my observations, it looks more like 90:10 most of the time :))

For 90% of people, "Seeing is Believing". In other words, for most people, they think that only when they can see (e.g. that our business model works), will they believe that it does.

For the other 10% of people, the reverse is true: Believing is Seeing. Because they first believe, they can picture vividly the possibilities in the future as if it was already real and present.

I was reflecting on these thoughts, among others, as I thought about what I'd like to share with my highly-valued and greatly-treasured friends and associates in a Christmas email. Surely, Christmas could not come and go without comment from comment-happy me :)

Here, I am sharing with you a lightly-edited version of my Christmas eve email to my friends, partners and colleagues.

I thought about the "Seeing Is Believing" bit as I marvelled at how people all over the world, Christians and non-Christians, celebrate Christmas, acknowledging knowingly or unknowingly the historical event that occurred over 2,000 years ago - the birth of baby Jesus.

I remembered sharing with someone who was in trouble with himself and making a mess of his life only a few weeks ago, that Christ was the only baby ever born to die.

He would die young so that we may live long and abundantly. He would die poor and wretched so that we may live rich and well. He would die taking on all our infirmities and sicknesses on his body so that we may live in health. He would die cursed so that we may live blessed. He would die, a Star hanging from a Tree (see picture), bearing all of our sins and wrongs so that we may walk in His righteousness and appear spotless in God's eyes.

Then, I thought to myself: Hey, Jesus was God personified - in speech, in action, in demeanour and in style. Everywhere Jesus went, as recorded in the Bible with many supporting cross-references, he performed great miracles e.g. bringing people back from the dead, healing the sick, helping the blind to see again, calming storms with just one utterance, walking on water.

For those people who believe in the axiom, "Seeing Is Believing", consider this: Did everyone who see Jesus do what he did and hear Jesus said what he said believe what they saw and heard? Some did; many didn't.

Now, do I have to see God personified to believe that He exists? Nope, not for me, not anymore. I'm happy to say that I regard myself to be among the 10 in the 90:10.

I believe; therefore I see. And for that, have I been blessed mightily.

I am thankful to God for watching over me, my family and my finances all of this year. With divine timing and interventions, we have been able to navigate the ups and downs of the economy and the markets exceedingly well.

I am thankful to God for answering all of our little prayers, reaffirming us in our faith that nothing is ever too trivial for God nor is anything too big. Whatever concerns his children, matters to Him.

I am thankful to God for empowering us with a stress-free, rest-ful life. Whatever happens to the economy, or the marketplace, we have no need to be anxious or worried. What we can do, we do; what we can't, we just leave it to God. Our being anxious doesn't contribute to the solution, and for those of us in the health & nutrition business, we know very well that anxiety or stress is bad for health.

I realized that it's because of Jesus that I can talk to God, talk about God and have a relationship with God.

I do feel greatly blessed, highly favoured and deeply loved, every day.

Now, you know my "secret" - the source of my unshakeable calm and enduring optimism :))

This Christmas, please allow me to be completely open with you and share with you what gives me both Rest and Power to do what I want to do. It's Jesus, whose birth we all celebrate with Christmas.

You must have heard or read these verses before, but if there is ever a good time to read them again, it is now:

"For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." - John 3:16-17

So, my dear readers, I wish you a Wonderfully Blessed Christmas. May the true meaning of Christmas touch you and bless you in the days and the years ahead.

God Bless You,

Eng Hai.

Alvin inspires

2008-10-17T00:28:00.000-07:00

We have seen slow-moving situations and we have seen fast moving situations. Alvin's experience in the use of Unicity's product and in the execution of the business that comes with those products is, in a word, FAST.

Alvin, who first showed up at Unicity's office on Sept 25, opened a business account with Unicity on Sept 30, and did his first of a series of product sales within days, has recruited his first business buddy.

On Oct 15, Alvin brought Fauze to the office. They know each other from the stroke rehab centre which they go to for therapy. Just as Alvin stayed on for an event on the first day he came to office, so did Fauze. Just as Alvin was sold at the end of his first event, so was Fauze. However, as Fauze had the additional privilege of witnessing the physical transformation in Alvin, a confidence-inspiring experience, he came through even faster than Alvin.

On Oct 16, which is the very next day, Fauze returned to the office to open his business account. Like Alvin, Fauze plans to generate the additional sales necessary to top up his business account into that of a Bios Life Franchise before the end of the month.

This is Copycat Marketing 101, indeed.

Congratulations Fauze for your quick decision. Congratulations Alvin for your first business recruit. I am sure you love this first taste of big success. I say "big" because you have had a number of smaller successes, which every single sale of a product - be it Enjuvenate, or Bios Life, or Bios Life Slim - is. Congratulations Wee Cheng for so effectively showing the way, keeping the business simple so that more will be empowered to get involved, whatever their physical, financial and emotional conditions. Bravo!

Stroke patient Alvin stages remarkable recovery

2008-10-14T03:31:00.000-07:00

Alvin Chan, a 31-year-old stroke patient, shows how he is now able to lift his left hand without the struggle, the pain and the contortions of the recent past. It's been just over two weeks since he was introduced to the rejuvenating powers of Unicity's anti-aging drink Enjuvenate.

Within these few weeks, his mobility has improved so much that the nurses at his stroke rehabilitation centre are sitting up and monitoring his progress closely, inquiring about the reason behind his accelerated recovery.

Alvin Chan suffered a stroke in Jan 2008. The blood vessels in his brain burst in three different places. Surgery helped, and another surgery is due soon - to patch back a hole in his skull.

By Alvin's own admission, the stroke was the result of neglect of underlying conditions such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure. He has a sordid family history punctured by similar episodes. His mother died of stroke while his father was disabled by the same disease and is now being cared for in a nursing home.

"I used to think stroke or heart attack happen only to old people. Now, I know better."

He is being proactive now to make sure it doesn't happen again. He wasted little time putting himself on Enjuvenate after being introduced to it by Ms Yap Wee Cheng (seated next to him) who had been volunteering at his rehab centre and giving him free Yoga Therapy. He is also using Bios Life with a view to weaning his body off the dependence on three different medications for high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Alvin is not only enjoying the first fruits of the better health that Unicity's products offer. He has also seized upon the economic lifeline that comes with membership in Unicity.

He used to be a Yong Tau Fu hawker before stroke felled him. Unable to continue with his business or to get a job, he has been living on public assistance and running down his limited personal savings. Then, one day, in a private conversation, he told Wee Cheng he was looking for a way to make money.

He didn't have enough money to open a S$1,000 Bios Life Franchise account. But he trusted and believed us enough to cough up the cash to buy Enjuvenate for immediate use. He also listened well and took action quickly.

In the two weeks that his body has been healing fast, Alvin wasted no time to share the products with his friends - in the home and outside. By Oct 14, he has generated enough sales of Enjuvenate, Bios Life Slim and other products (like SGGC) to upgrade his Unicity account into that of a Bios Life Franchise.

In the short time that he has been with us, Alvin has been a great inspiration.

His experience has also strongly validated a few of the central themes of our business:

1. Our products work. They do for people what we said they'd do.

2. Having no money is not a good reason to not get started. Those who do not have the S$1,000 to buy the products first can always sell S$1,000 of products before signing up for a franchise.

3. Using the products out of understanding and belief in what "trusted others" say, and then believing the products even more out of first-hand personal experience, is a necessary and powerful first step in our business of word-of-mouth marketing.

Alvin, Congratulations! And Thank You!

The future is now bright and exciting!

Gems from Busan: Great counsel from great leaders

2008-09-23T20:49:00.000-07:00

Thank you Todd Smith (USA, Presidential Diamond), Rick Jordan (USA, Diamond), Alexander Krause (Germany, Double Diamond), Daniel Mueller (Germany, Double Diamond), Sven Goebel (Germany, Double Diamond), Aaron Webber (USA, Diamond), Joe Chavich Kim (Thailand, Diamond) and Rasa Comeban (Thailand, Diamond) for your great consel on what it takes to succeed fabulously in the Unicity business.

What a blast!

Consider these gems which I picked out from this Panel Discussion at the 2008 Unicity Global Convention in Busan, 18-20 September 2008:

Strive to excel whatever you do: "The No 1 key to success is to strive for excellence at the key fundamentals of the business. The people at the top simply bring more value to the company and the market than others at lower ends of the payscale. Excel at whatever you do. Every day, get better at all that you’re doing – calls, presentations, asking for a decision, getting people started. Every day, strive for constant and never ending improvement." - Todd Smith.

Know what you do not want: "Most people do not know what they really want. They say it but they do not feel it. So I specialize in helping people figure out what they really do not want. Your “do not want” gives you clues on what you want - very personal goals with energy. We can make something good out of a bad thing. - Alexander Krause. (He asked everyone to take a minute to write what we do not want. What's your "Do Not Want"?)

Take ownership: "This is a great business, an outstanding business. It’s your business. You’re not working someone else’s business. It’s yours. You own it. You control it. If you don’t take the business and own it, you will fail. Make no excuses. It’s not the product nor the compensation plan .. it’s you. Own your business!" - Aaron Webber.

How do they keep themselves motivated:

"A goal not written is only a wish. Carry it in your pocket, close to your heart." - Rick Jordan, who has this written down, "Build 5 legs with 3 Diamonds each. Help 15 other people to become Diamonds"

"Seeing my people succeed" - Rasa Comeban.

"Do what others say are impossible ... Making a difference for others." - Chavich Kim

"Wherever there is a room with no light, light up the candle." - Alexander Krause.

"Doing my part to make us the leading light of the industry. What was, is not going to be. Today’s leaders is not tomorrow’s. We are the most qualified to take industry leadership." - Aaron Webber.

Bangla Maths grad sweeps floor in Singapore

2008-08-06T20:43:00.000-07:00

I recently became acquainted with a Bangladeshi worker who sweeps the floor in my apartment block. His name is Rahul.

I was getting out of my flat and calling out loudly to wifey inside to tell her that I was leaving when Rahul looked up and answered, "Yes Sir?"

I smiled and explained to him that I was talking to someone inside. He continued to look my way as I was putting on my shoes and as I waited for the lift to come up, seemingly eager to strike up a conversation.

So, I asked where he comes from (Bangladesh) and his name.

Then he asked me if I am a teacher and I said, yes. But how did you guess, I asked. He pointed to the book that I had pressed against my body under my arm, and read "The Secret ...?".

So, I showed him the cover with the title, The Secrets to the Millionaire Mind, by T Harv Eker, adding that I teach business, show people how to set up their own businesses and how to make their life better.

I asked him what he studied in school. He said that he is a graduate in Mathematics from Bangladesh's Dhaka University! (I thought to myself, "A Maths grad!!!!") My lift came. I excused myself and wished him a good day.

The little chat left me wondering .. How did a highly-educated Maths graduate from Bangladesh end up sweeping the floor in Singapore's HDB flats? ... Is this a problem of a poor country providing too much higher education and not enough economic or employment opportunities? Is this a problem with universal University education, like what seems to be happening in Malaysia and what I think has been happening in The Philippines? Think graduate maids.

Or is Rahul doing a cleaner's job in Singapore because he gets to make more money this way here than if he tried to convert his Maths degree into a job back home? Which, if so, is kind of a good thing for him, and his family.

Before long, my thinking turns positive and creative as it is conditoned to do, and I am wondering ... Perhaps, Rahul's is a long convoluted journey with many twists and turns which may possibly lead to something great and inspiring for his family, his countrymen and even mankind.

Let me tell you what else I'm thinking ... I want to lend him a little book. Yes, a book. The same book that opened my eyes 7 years ago to an exciting new world of incredible possibilities that I didn't up to then realize even existed. The same book that has since changed my life forever.

But first, I've got to find Rahul - at the right time and the right place with the book on hand.

Strange ... I haven't seen him outside my door again since ... except yesterday morning when we crossed each other's paths in the lobby downstairs, both in a hurry going in different directions. He recognized me, and said, Hello Sir.

Maybe, it's not yet the time for him. I do believe that if what I have in mind is meant to be, Providence will take care of it.

A 19-year-old high-achieving business builder

2008-07-24T18:20:00.000-07:00

Jerome Chan, 19, addresses a room full of fellow business builders, all senior to him in age and most, more senior to him in business-building experience.

He learnt well from us so that now the rest of us get to relearn the same and more from him.

Jerome, a student of Temasek Polytechnic in the midst of his internship, joined the Bios Life Franchise in June 2008 with his mom's financial backing. Grace agreed to support him provided he doesn't come home whining about not being able to make money or anything like that. That steeled his determination.

Within the first month in business, he learnt fast, did some retail sales, signed up two Preferred Customers, doing all the work by himself, and climbed the first of the 12 ranks in Unicity International's compensation plan. Jerome has quickly become a Manager-rank distributor, which is why he is being recognized at this event.

He inspired others by relating his "textbook experience" in signing up one of his Preferred Customers. He drank Bios Life during his meals at his internship workplace. A technician spotted him doing that, and asked questions. He engaged the 55-year-old colleague in non-intimidating conversations. The technician asked more questions, and Jerome pointed him to a website, shown on his business card. The colleague came back soon after, convinced Unicity is a company he can trust and Bios Life is a product he needs to wean him of the statin drugs he has been taking for his poor cholesterol profile. The technician also has a problem with high blood pressure. When the technician came back to place orders for Bios Life and one or two other products including the wonder utility oil, Green Tea Oil, Jerome offered the 15% discount that came with the Preferred Customer account ....

That, and other businesses, made a Manager out of our youngest business associate.

Jerome, well done! You are an inspiration. (And I do mean that! Among others, Pastor Andrew Khoo of New Hope, who was at the event, said after the meeting, that Jerome's story made him see how easy it is with a product like Bios Life to get people interested.)

Full Heart, Strong Heart, Big Heart

2008-07-24T10:12:00.000-07:00

In the concluding session of a series of training workshops on Business-Building Basics, we zoomed in on a key factor that I believe accounts for a lack of results from some people despite their showing up regularly for training. The Heart!

We started the session by inviting all present to come up with one advice each, that they know of, or grew up with, or have been told of in recent memory, that involves the word, "heart". Surprisingly, many had difficulty coming up with something. Hmm.... people have not been thinking about the heart?

In the end, after some difficulty, we did come up with a number of hearty advice e.g. In all that you do, do it with all your heart. Have a heart for others .... And here's a cute one: When the husband forgets the wife's birthday, or fails to bring home her favorite food despite repeated hints, she'd simply say, "No Heart!" ;)

I recalled learning from the most successful of Unicity's Thai leaders, Khun Chavich Kim a.k.a. Joe, a phrase I initially thought sounded odd but later decided makes a lot of sense. "Full Heart." The context? "No time? Never mind. I don't need you to do the business full-time. I just need you to do it full heart."

Against these illustrations, I suggested that people who do not have much results to show despite showing up for training for month after month, even year after year, may need to search their hearts.

Is the lack of results because they did not take to heart whatever they learn? Or could it be that they didn't go all out, whole-heartedly, to do whatever it takes to produce the results they think they want? Or is it that they simply do not know what they really want with all their heart?

As the discussion progressed, we figured out that we need to be not just whole-hearted but also strong-hearted. Sometimes, people do not do what they ought to because they are afraid of the rejections, the naysayers, dream-stealers and other types of negative people.

Post-session, I continued to engage my partners and associates on the heart theme. We discovered an important third component - Big Heart! We need a Big Heart so that there'd be ample space in our hearts for the interests and concerns of others. The small-hearted people has only just enough space for themselves and their feelings. We need a Big Heart so that we can be quick to forgive those whom we feel have wronged us, and slow to judge or to condemn. That way, we get to stay in control of our emotions and be well placed to win the "inner game" of life and business.

So, there you are: FULL HEART, STRONG HEART, BIG HEART - all that we need to do well in whatever we choose to do.

I sieved through my archive of quotable quotes, "Insights Of The Day" from self-improvement guru Bob Proctor, and picked out a selection to help me illustrate this, what we might call, hearty formula for success :)

About a FULL HEART

"If you make the unconditional commitment to reach your most important goals, if the strength of your decision is sufficient, you will find the way and the power to achieve your goals." - Robert Conklin, Teacher, Author and Speaker

"The important thing is not being afraid to take a chance. Remember, the greatest failure is to not try. Once you find something you love to do, be the best at doing it." - Debbi Fields, Founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies

"Bigness comes from doing many small things well. Individually, they are not very dramatic transactions. Together though, they add up." - Edward S. Finkelstein, Author

"Four short words sum up what has lifted most successful individuals above the crowd: a little bit more. They did all that was expected of them and a little bit more." - A. Lou Vickery, Writer

About a STRONG HEART

"My father used to say to me, 'Whenever you get into a jam, whenever you get into a crisis or an emergency...become the calmest person in the room and you'll be able to figure your way out of it.’ - Rudolph Giuliani, Former Mayor of New York City

"There is absolutely nothing that separates the elite from the paupers except their expectations. If you wish to rise above the masses, then let the fire burn fiercely within you. Do this, and it shall be done!." - J. Arthur Holcombe, Author of The Path of Truth and Courage

“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough." – Og Mandino, 1923-1996, Author and Speaker

"People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don't know when to quit. Most people succeed because they are determined to." - George E. Allen, 1832-1907, Publisher and Author

About a BIG HEART

The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!" - Henry Ward Beecher, 1813-1887, Author

"Select a few people to be particularly kind to today - those you were a little harsh with yesterday." – Normal Vincent Peale, 1898-1993, Author and Speaker

"Welcome to New Hope Thrift Shop"

2008-06-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

That's Ms Lilian in the photo, the very pleasant and friendly lady who helps New Hope Community Services run its Thrift Shop, located behind Sembawang Shopping Centre, on a little road named Jalan Serengam.

I dropped in at the shop yesterday as part of our tour of New Hope's shelter and services, and found it a very interesting place, worth a repeat visit, even with family.

Thanks to the contributions of donors, the shop is well stocked with decorative knick knacks, posters and paintings, toys, books, clothes including designer wear, even a set of brand new dining chairs - all because the couple who bought it decided they didn't like it after all. So, they gave it away .... for a Good Cause.

If you're in the Sembawang area, or planning a weekend at the water-fronting Sembawang Park, do make arrangements to stop over at this Thrift Shop. All for a good cause :)

To find out more about New Hope Community Services, go to www.newhopecs.org.sg

Check out this Thrift Shop

2008-06-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

Ever heard of Jalan Serengam? Or Jalan Jeruju? This New Hope Thrift Shop is located at the junction of these two roads. Acrosss the road is the Sembawang Presbyterian Church. Not far from it is the road-fronting Sembawang Shopping Centre, your landmark along Sembawang Rd, on the way to Semawbawang Park.

The premises used to be New Hope's shelter for men in crisis - men who have come out of prison or drug rehab, and have nowhere to go, and need a temporary shelter where they can sort out their lives and prepare for their Second Chance. When it became too small, New Hope found a new shelter located very near Sembawang Park, in a good, friendly and understanding neighborhood. That's another story.

If you're reading this article, please accept my invitation to check out this Thrift Shop. Go see if there isn't something you could pick up for a good cause.

Selling can lose you friends???

2008-06-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

At our "Keys to Success, Wealth & More Friends" seminar on June 15, workshop leader Kelly Lim guided the attendees to focus on two questions - basically, two sides of the same issue.

Q1. Why do people think and say selling can cause you to lose friends?

Q2. How would (or should) you do it such that you won't lose friends and instead make friends?

Going around the room, we got the following responses to Q1:

#1: I do seem to scare away my friends and I don't even know why ... some people tell me I ask too many questions.

#2: Hard selling, or forcing a sale of a product on friends, is what will lose you friends. Worse, if you are selling what you don't even believe in!

#3: You will lose friends if you are persistent in the wrong way - keep asking people to buy products from you even when they have said "no".

In the discussion that followed, a leader who was concerned that Q1 was even discussed at all, said: If you keep losing friends in the course of prospecting, examine your ways of selling. But do not be too hard on yourself. Sometimes, it is not your selling that is at fault. It is that the prospect is not good enough. There is such a thing as a "Prospect from Hell". We have come across one or two over the years ;)

As the discussion went around the room, with contributions from people of various levels of experience, we quickly established the following consensus response to Q2:

1. When going into a conversation with any prospect, it is important that we go in with the objective of wanting to get to know the person better, not going for a sale. In getting to know a person, we're really looking out or listening up for a fit - a good fit between the prospect's needs and what we can offer. Where a fit cannot be found, we must simply let go.

2. Think Relationship Marketing, another name for Network Marketing. Relationships must come before the Marketing. Establish a relationship first - ideally, a relationship built on trust. If people trust you, they're more likely to buy what you recommend.

3. Building relationship does not necessarily take a long time or many conversations and follow-up meetings. We can establish a rapport quickly - even within three minutes - if we would just be sincerely interested in people and their interests or concerns. Focus on people, and what they want; not on ourselves and what we may want out of them. If we do that, and if the prospect is right for us, we will have the opportunity to share the products and/or the opportunity within one conversation.

So, "selling" in itself is not a bad thing. It is how you do it.

Have a Laugh: Everyday things redefined

2008-06-04T07:45:00.000-07:00

My friend Peck sent me the following "useful humourous definitions" by email, with a note saying some are quite true. I agree. These clever distortions do capture our sentiments on many everyday things. Have a good laugh reviewing them :D

School: A place where Papa pays and Son plays.

Life Insurance: A contract that keeps you poor all your life so that you can die Rich.

Nurse: A person who wakes you up to give you sleeping pills.

Marriage: It's an agreement in which a man loses his bachelor degree and a woman gains her masters.

Divorce: Future tense of Marriage.

Tears: The hydraulic force by which masculine willpower is defeated by feminine waterpower.

Lecture: Art of transferring info from the notes of the Lecturer to the notes of the students without passing through 'the minds of either'.

Conference: The confusion of one man multiplied by the number present.

Compromise: The art of dividing a cake in such a way that everybody believes he got the biggest piece.

Dictionary: A place where success comes before work.

Father: A banker provided by nature.

Criminal: A guy no different from the rest except that he got caught.

Boss: Someone who is early when you are late and late when you are early.

Politician: One who shakes your hand before elections and your confidence after.

Doctor: A person who kills your ills by pills, and kills you by bills.

Classic: Books, which people praise, but do not read.

Yawn: The only time some married men ever get to open their mouth.

Etc.: A sign to make others believe that you know more than you actually do.

Experience: The name men give to their mistakes.

Atom Bomb : An invention to end all inventions.

Philosopher: A fool who torments himself during life, to be spoken of when dead.

Office: A place where you can relax after your strenuous home life.

Conference Room: A place where everybody talks, nobody listens and everybody disagrees later on.

Committee: Individuals who can do nothing individually and sit to decide that nothing can be done together.

Aren't they funny? You like them? Good. Now, smile :)

Why? Because ...

Smile: A curve that can set a lot of things straight.

Yoga therapist took away my pains

2008-05-25T20:24:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my business partner and friend, yoga therapist Yap Wee Cheng, I am well again :)

Last month, on April 18th, shortly after we moved house, and exactly two months in my day job at SAS, I felt a shooting pain going down the upper part of my right arm.

The pain hit me when I woke up and then came back again and again during the day.

I thought it might have something to do with my office ergonomics. Maybe my seat was too low... Maybe it was the table, with its designer curve on the side that forced my arm into an awkward position as I handled the mouse for hours everyday.

I raised my seat. I repositioned my computer so that my arm wouldn't have to stay in that awkward position for hours every day. But the harm was done, and the pain continued.

Wife told me it was probably my moving the heavy furniture at home by myself in the middle of the night. As usual, I couldn't wait to get everything in place so that we could begin to live well in our new apartment in Toa Payoh.

Whatever the cause, I needed to get rid of the recurring shooting pain. Ouch!!!!

I applied a massage oil. It didn't help. I applied my cream for hydrating joints and bones. It didn't help either. Evidently, they were not addressing the root cause of the problem, whatever that might be.

A doctor friend of mine, when told of my complaint when we met socially over coffee, said the symptoms suggested that it may be an upper back problem and that for some reasons, my bone may have ended up pressing on my nerves. So, it is a back and nerve problem?

When I met Wee Cheng, my yoga therapist friend cum fellow Bios Life Franchise owner, in the course of business, I told her about my problem. It didn't take her long to figure out that it may have something to do with my posture. A recent physical strain may hurt a soft spot and triggered the pain.

She said she had noticed for some time that I tended to stick my head too much out of allignment with the rest of the body, and she had wanted to ask if I have back pains or problems like that.

She immediately attended to me and helped me to straighten up with some hand stretching exercises. Those stretching exercises seemed to have gotten to the root of the problem for I'd feel the same pain not in my arm but in my fingers! It's like the pain was being moved down my arm to my fingertips. We also had a good laugh discovering that everytime I tried to straighten my head, my belly would stick out. So, I'd have to remember to straighten my head and tuck in my belly! These are things I could try to get right while on the MRT, and I consciously do it nowadays.

She offered me a series of private yoga therapy sessions. Being keen to get rid of the pain and to get well again, and being a believer in alternative approaches to wellness myself, I readily took up the offer.

Having advised her earlier not to sell her one-on-one service cheap (for she has limited hours to trade off), I offered to pay the full rate for consultations. S$120 per hour! She gave me some discount.

We had the first session at the Unicity office, an hour before her monthly Yoga & Nutrition workshop. For more privacy, and to avoid interruptions, the second session was held at my home.

Through these two sessions alone, I learnt quite a number of things about my physical self e.g. I not only had bad posture, I was bow legged! Me bow legged? And flat footed too!!! I have heard of that before but never knew what that meant. And I didn't breathe right either. For example, when I breathe in, my stomach would cave in when it should be ballooning out.

Wee Cheng patiently showed me how to stand, how to walk, how to breathe ... Yes, can you picture that? A middle-aged guy learning to stand, walk and breathe right, after four decades of doing it all wrong? ;)

Wee Cheng knows about my weariness about the spiritual dimension of Yoga, and that any chanting or calling on spirits wis a no no. She understands that I'd go along so long as it is taken at the level of breathing and physical exercises. Sensitive to my concerns, she'd explain to me the physiological relevance of various acts or moves. On that basis, I allowed her to go as far as to teach me the Sun Salutation poses. Two rounds of that made me sweat more than a 30-minute walk around the neighbourhood (my kind of exercise). It was GOOD!

At the end of just those two sessions, and it's been more than a week since the second, those shooting pains have disappeared from my arm. I no longer wake up with dread and a hint of that trouble.

She asked me this morning if I'd like to do another session this evening. I sheepishly and honestly replied by sms: The crisis has blown over. I no longer feel the urgency to spend time and money on another session. But I'll tell my friends about you and what you can do for them if they are in need of Yoga Therapy, I offered.

So, here I am. Happy to be well again ;)

By the way, Wee Cheng writes a blog of her own, in Chinese. If language is not a problem, go here: http://blog.omy.sg/tingting

Presenting New Hope .. and 2nd chances in life

2008-05-17T06:49:00.000-07:00

I am happy and honoured to present to you New Hope Community Services - a charity that provides temporary shelter and counselling support to the displaced and homeless and also ex-offenders fresh out of prison with nowhere to turn to.

New Hope is represented in this photo by its founder and executive director, Pastor Andrew Khoo (standing in the middle), and Warren De Souza, a young entrepreneur who volunteers at the charity (1st from right).

My partners and I at The 5E Network recently found common cause with Pastor Andrew and New Hope, and went ahead to adopt the charity as our favourite charity to work with and to support long-term, on an ongoing basis. We are impressed by their passion, mission and good work to help the displaced and the shunned in Singapore's affluent society.

With this "adoption", we will help New Hope build up a source of income that is independent, recurring, growing and significant. We have set a long-term target of S$10,000 a month, or S$120,000 a year. New Hope runs on a budget in excess of S$400,000 a year. Our efforts kicked off in April 2008 with a handful of us - Lily Soen (seen in this photo with hubby Hoong Chiu), Alice, Sunny and I - procuring S$1,000 of sales with which to open a high-yielding Bios Life Franchise account for the charity.

Next, we are looking to identify one or two suitable candidates people from the two main groups that New Hope helps - the homeless and ex-offenders - who have a burning desire to turn their lives around and do whatever it takes to make life better. When we find these candidates, we'd go all out to sponsor, train and guide them to build up a personal franchise of their own. They may then be an inspiration to others.

Meanwhile, we have proceeded with our other major intention to promote New Hope's cause wherever we have influence or the opportunity to do so, with a view to procure for them financial and other kinds of support from as many sources as we can find. We have created a Facebook group to publicise their work and promote awareness of their cause. We have presented the charity to a group of Rotarians with a view to working out some long-term collaboration between the charity and the international service movement.

This is the beginning of an exciting, heart-warming and inspiring journey.

I'd like to invite you to join us. Together, we can give new hope to those who'd otherwise feel hopeless and give a second chance to those whom society would normally shun or dismiss as no-hopers.

To help you make that decision, you can find out more about New Hope Community Services at www.newhopecs.org.sg

Pursuing Happiness: Let nobody tell you what you can or cannot do

2008-05-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

"Never let somebody tell you that you cannot do something ... not even me," said Chris Gardner to his 5-year-old son, Christopher, correcting himself after realizing that he had unknowingly knocked his little son's dreams of basketball stardom.

He had earlier told the boy he shouldn't be playing ball all day because he is unlikely to get good at basketball or get anywhere with it ... since his dad wasn't even an average player at it.

Correcting himself quickly, he said: "If you've got a dream, you got to protect it. People cannot do something themselves; they're going to tell you that you can't do it. If you want something, go get it. Period."

These are my favourite lines from the inspirational movie Pursuit of Happyness, starring Will Smith and his real-life son.

It is based on the true story of Chris Gardner, a black guy in San Francisco, who refused to let a long spell of poor sales and mounting financial debts stop him from keeping on trying to improve his situation while staying true to his promise to himself that he'd never let his boy grow up not knowing his daddy. He didn't know who his father was until he was 28.

His long spell of financial lack saw his him descend from a rented apartment to a small motel room and then, a temporary shelter for the homeless, for which he and his boy had to queue up, day by day, with no assurance they'd get a room or bed to sleep for the night.

Then, one night, because he was a little later than normal getting out of work, the worst happened - they ended up without the temporary shelter.

That was when they ended up spending the night in a public toilet in the train station! Tears streamed down his cheek as he tried to cover the ears of his sleeping child as someone banged on the locked door, trying to get in to use the toilet :(

During this trying period, his wife gave up on him and left for New York. He was also haunted, challenged and even jailed by unpaid rents, parking fines and taxes.

Despite all these, he did not lose heart. He kept going at two things that he believed will give him the way out of his rut - trying to sell off his stock of Bone Density Scanner for immediate cash, despite rejections, mishaps and thefts; and pitching hard for a chance to be considered for a job at a stockbroking firm, and then working tenaciously and creatively at cold calls at his no-salary internship at Dean Witter Reynolds so that out of more than 20 candidates, he'd be the one to get the one and only one prized job at the stockbroking firm.

In the end, he managed to sell off every single scanner, including those he managed to recover from "thieves", raising money badly-needed to help him and son get by, day by day.

He also landed the job. That led to richly-deserved success, an investment bank of his own (Gardner Rich), and eventually, wealth in the millions of dollars.

I watched this movie for the first time last Monday when it was introduced at our weekly seminar, and again early today, with my 7-year-old son Jia Wei, gamely watching it with me on my recommendation. My boy enjoyed the movie and found a number of scenes touching and moving enough. Here and there, his voice broke as he asked me to explain what was happening.

If you haven't watch this movie, go watch it. I'm sure it will put a lot of thankfulness in your hearts while adding steel to your back.

If for some reasons, you simply can't get around to watching the movie, remember this:

"Never let somebody tell you that you cannot do something ... not even those closest to you. If you have a dream, you've got to protect it. People who cannot do something themselves are going to tell you that you can't do it too. If you want something, go get it. Period."

Take Charge, Dream Big, Play Tall

2008-03-01T12:43:00.000-08:00

The last time he spoke in Singapore, Unicity's ex-CEO turned top Diamond-rank distributor Aaron Webber urged us to "Don't Worry, Be Good, Work Hard".

This time, he exhorted us to "Take Charge, Dream Big, Play Tall".

"Big dreams get you out of bed in the mornings. Big dreams will see you through down times. They give you the strength to get through the winter till the spring."

"My dream is to lead the transformation of the industry. The industry is in its adolescence. Just like teenagers, an industry in its adolescence do stupid things ... We have everything we need to lead the industry: the product, the people. We just need to believe that and believe in ourselves. I believe in you."

The following are highlights of some of the ideas that Aaron shared with business associates in three separate sessions from Friday, Feb 15th to Saturday, Feb 16th. Great stuff, all, if you're trying to build a business for yourself. Read on.

Re-invent yourself to stay relevant

Thinking that we have a Blue Ocean strategy, with no competition to speak off, may lull people into complacency, Aaron fears. The competition is watching all the time, and at some point in time, the competition will also find a way to sail into the Blue Ocean, and before you know it, the blue waters will turn purple and then, red.

It is important that while we have the advantage of a Blue Ocean strategy, we should make sure that we constantly reinvent ourselves to stay ahead and stay relevant.

Aaron, which confesses to subscribing somewhat to a "chaos model", said he has seen too many leaders stagnate in the business and then go into control mode. They start coming out with Franchise Manuals, checklists, scripts. If you were to follow these closely, you will lose your personality, he warned.

"Don't lose your personality," he advises. "In the case of McDonald's, if you were to take the pickle out of the Big Mac, you will lose your franchise." In our case, we're welcome to take the oickle out if we think it doesn't suit our market.

While duplication (duplicate what works) helps the business moves along, we ought to allow people room to apply their personalities to their business. They should be welcome to test out new ideas of their own - subject to their staying true to the basics, the core values and the principles. Believe in what you do. Do it naturally - not in a stiff, scripted way.

--------------

Simple solution to any problem - in 3 words

If we are not watchful, our business may grow and then degenerate, as they often do in three stages: Growth => Excuses => Blame. To prevent this degeneration, remember this 3-word advice: GROW YOUR BUSINESS.

At the risk of over-simplifying, think of any problem or excuse that people can have for not doing well in the business, and you can work around it by growing the business. Growing our business is the best answer to every problem, challenge or difficulty.

So, how does one go about "growing the business"?

1. Take Charge, take ownership. Think like an entrepreneur, get to work. "This is your business - not the company's, nor your upline's nor your big leader's." Beyond the products and the cheques, don't depend too much on the company or your uplines to do things for you. Leaders should build and encourage independence; not breed dependence.

2. Work Hard. Aaron said his personal experience proves that "hard work can compensate for a lack of skills". Keep doing whatever it takes to grow the business. Don't go into management mode. We need leaders to be productively engaged. That's been "all that's missing".

To get a harvest (and harvests are never immediate), we must continue to plough and plant. Even if the weather is harsh, we must get out to plough and plant. To get a bigger harvest, we must reinvest part of the previous harvest.

3. "Play tall." Aaron shared his learning experience playing in a basketball team made up of a lot of particularly short people. He remembers the team being intimidated by the prospects of playing teams that are much taller and bigger than them. And what did the coach tell them? Play tall. Act the way you want to be. It did work.

4. Work at being attractive. "We have to make ourselves attractive," Aaron shared. One way is to Be Good, and among many things, being good means doing what you said you would. Be honest, remembering that one is either honest or not. There's no such thing as being "kind of honest". You are either honest or you are not.

Think ROI - and that's not "returns on investments". It is RELATIONSHIPS OVERRIDE INCOME. Treat people as people, not as transactions. Adopt Hard Rock Cafe's motto: Love All, Serve All.

5. Live thankfully. "Be thankful for the latest goodies in the Singapore Budget," said Aaron as he addressed a full house at the company's Chinese New Year Open House on 16 Feb 2008. Be thankful for all the good that comes from living life in Singapore - a great city that many other cities want to emulate. It is easy to forget your blessings when you live in the midst of them every day.

Be thankful for the times that we live in, the opportunity that we have to build a business with the kind of products that we have. Be thankful even for your challenges. They test us and make us stronger and better. "Count your blessings .. We have everything we need to lead the industry: the product, the people. We just need to believe in ourselves. I believe in you. Do you?"

----------

212 for Breakthrough

What is the significance of the number 212, Aaron asked. 212 on the Fahrenheit scale (equivalent to 100 degree Celsius) is the boiling point of water. "In my view, we're at 209-210. Please don't get to 211, get scared and flinch. Keep going."

We may be very close, only a few degrees away from breakthrough.

My brother and I with Mr Chee

2008-02-14T16:51:00.000-08:00

Teacher-Students Reunion 36 years on

2008-02-09T18:52:00.001-08:00

Chinese New Year is a time for reunions, especially family reunions, and quite often reunion of friends or ex-classmates in the hometowns. But a reunion of teacher and students? I don't know about you. But that's a rarity for me. If and when that happens, that'd be an exceptional bonus. My brother Eng Hooi and I received just such an Exceptional Bonus this Chinese New Year back home in Penang.

Please meet our Commerce Teacher from our secondary school years in Assumption Secondary School in Penang in the early 1970s, Mr CHEE THOE LAY a.k.a. Kojak.

Eng Hooi remembers he'd be angry about being called Kojak, then. But he must have mellowed with age, like people in general are prone to. It was Mr Chee himself who reminded us that we used to call him Kojak - but he didn't remind us that we did that behind his back. Kojak (acted by Telly Savalas (?)) was that bald-headed detective who spoke with a drawl in a TV series.

That, I had forgotten, but quickly recalled on his jovial reminder. Mr Chee has obviously learnt to laugh at himself even more. As Chris was taking this photo, he called out, "Wait, let me comb my hair first!" What hair!

I remember Mr Chee well for sending all of us, as the first exercise at the end of our first lesson in Commerce in Form 1 (1974), to go open a bank account of our own. It'd have been the first bank account for almost all of us, if not all. I obediently went to the nearby Chartered Bank (now Standard Chartered Bank) in Bagan Luar Rd to open my first bank savings account. That was to be my first of many encounters with the world of finance. I was also to maintain that account for the next 30 years!

We met Mr Chee at the Arena foodcourt ("let's eat here, it's cheap and good") of the spanking new waterfront shopping centre, Queensbay Mall, overlooking the prison turned spa resort island of Jerejak.

Mr Chee looks well. He has been taking extra good care of himself, after a mild stroke in 2000. That taught him to manage or avoid needless stress better, and eat (less) according to his (reduced) needs.

"People our age don't need that much food because we don't do that much anyway."

Daily life for him is an early morning walk, a good breakfast (no lunch), go home to take a good look at his stock market investments ("see whether to take my profit or to let them ride") and after that, a good sleep until ... dinner? Or something like that ...

Mr Chee, who taught us in the early 1970s, taught for 6 years in Assumption (now defunct). Then, it was 6 years in LaSalle (now defunct too - "must be because I am one of the "Pek Kah Te" teachers, he said). After that, he taught for 14 "too long" years in Heng Ee. The location suited the demands of the time then, when he as the more mobile parent had to ferry his three children to different schools at different times.

In Heng Ee, because he opted to teach in the afternoon session, he was given the heavy responsibility of being the discipline master. How does he discipline difficult boys in a school infamous for its discipline problems? "I'd ask them out for a game of water polo ... " As a result, most of them (the bad ones) play water polo, he said.

Mr Chee has also been a part-time swimming coach. It was in that role at the University in Penang, USM, that he run into Eng Hooi when my brother was doing his undergraduate studies.

It's been more than 30 years - 36 years for Eng Hooi, 34 for me counting from our first encounters in Form 1. We remember Mr Chee well, and feel extra privileged to be remembered by him.

Thank You Sir, for the times then.

Thank You Sir for making the connection after all these years!

It was so fun catching up after all these decades.

We appreciate you :)

Never ever give up .. whatever the pain or loss

2008-01-22T21:52:00.000-08:00

Top of the news today. Last par in front page article on the latest market sell-off.. "We have dealers telling us that their clients are threatening to kill themselves if they are hit by further margin calls," said the risk management head of a local brokerage.

That reminds me of a piece of information from a resident when I dropped by the university hall of residence Raffles Hall yesterday. I was told a PRC student, in Singapore on a scholarship and a Chemical Engineering undergrad, jumped off the top floor, i.e. the 8th floor, of the next door Kuok Foundation Hostel only a few nights earlier. He died.

In our banter, we wondered if exam or study stress drove the undergrad to commit suicide. But then, we thought aloud, if the deceased was a scholar, and so, was presumably above-average smart, how could he have been overcome by academic stress to the extent that he would give up on life???

If his studies were that stressful that it made life seemed not worth living, then why not just give up on the studies? There are many other options in life! I've known of many drop-outs who've made good, and living full and happy lives. Why give up on life and thus on every future possibility?

Today, on reading today's news, I wondered further about the student who gave up on life. Perhaps there's more to the suicide than academic stress. Perhaps, like so many tech and market-savvy, street-wise undergrads nowadays, he might have made some ill-timed moves in the stock market. Perhaps, the sharp selldowns in recent weeks - the consequence of growing fear of an economic downcycle, might have hit him badly.

Yes, perhaps. But even so, why give up on life?

The following thoughts apply to those people referred to in the front-page news article - stock market players who are feeling suicidal because of their hefty losses and mounting debt obligations. Why not pluck up the courage, be brave and face up to the losses, and if necessary, go through the pain and shame of bankruptcy?

Bankruptcy doesn't kill, and thanks to bankruptcy laws recently amended to allow risk-takers a second chance after a financial fall, bankrupts can always make a comeback. A dead man cannot.

Life, to be lived out with the body, spirit and soul that God has so ingeniusly created for us, holds out immense and untoild possibilities, for those who'd treasure that life, be brave in the face of the storms of life and stay alive to fight the good fight another day.

In my business, we always advise people that the most assured way to succeed is to never ever give up.

It's the same in the business of life. Never ever give up, and we will succeed - whatever we choose to do with our lives, one way or another.

Add life to people's years & years to their lives

2007-12-25T07:55:00.000-08:00

Singaporeans live longer but suffer 8 years of poor health, screams the headline of a recent news article in The Straits Times, 3 Dec 2007. The sub-title says, a Ministry of Health study shows main causes of sickness are diseases that could be prevented early on e.g. heart attacks, stroke, diabetes.

The article went on to exhort people to go for regular screening in addition to adopting healthier lifestyle choices like eating more vegetables and fish and less red meat and doing more exercise.

There is something else more proactive and positive than going for regular screening i.e. "early detection", and easier to do than changing our diet or adding exercise on a continuous basis.

I have come to understand that all of those diseases mentioned above - heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, are separately classified but they are fundamentally the same disease - unhealthy blood, which have either too much bad cholesterol, too little good cholesterol, too much triglycerides or blood sugar, or a combination of some or all of these.

It is not difficult to set things right.

Add an orange-flavor fiber nutrient lifestyle drink called Bios Life to our daily routine, stirring it into a glass of water and drinking it twice a day, before every major meal, like lunch and dinner.

The cost? Only S$5 a day i.e. S$2.50 each time. If you think that's expensive, think again. How much do people pay for a Starbucks? And if you still think that's expensive, well, try falling sick ;)

Prevention is not only better than cure; it is cheaper too.

How will you know it works? Get a cholesterol test before starting a Bios Life program. Get a second test after two months of taking it twice a day. A comparison of the two results will show you if it works or not.

If you're game to try, or introduce it to someone who badly needs to do something about his health, contact me.

Final thought: Why live until 78 (for men) or 82 (women) and spend eight of those years suffering and being impoverished by preventable diseases, when you can have more life in your years?

Go ahead. Make Life Better!

"Listen with Grace, without judgment"

2007-11-18T05:44:00.000-08:00

At my weekly coaching session today, I received a powerful lesson that is useful for every day living, from my Coach, delivered through his anointed servant, Pastor Joseph Prince of New Creation Church. I believe you'll find this lesson in listening as useful as I do, be it for the purpose of parenting or for supervising people whom we are responsible for or mentoring our students or apprentices.

The good pastor said that while we may preach and believe in Grace, we may sometimes (or even often) fall short of practising what we preach when dealing with people in our inner circle.

Do we as parents of our children, or seniors/supervisors of our staff, or a leader of our people sometimes lapse into offering advice, offering a way out of a problem, sermonising, lecturing or preaching? When all we needed to do, and should do, was to "listen with Grace and without judgment".

When dealing with children, do we tend to be too quick to advise on the do's and dont's when presented with a problem. Worse, do we try to minimize the emotional hurt or physical pain that they may be going through, in the misguided belief that making light of what they're going through help them overcome a stressful situation.

Why not just listen? And listen with not just ears but also eyes. Yes, look at them, make eye contact, when they're trying to tell you something (good or bad) that's happened to them during the day - don't listen with eyes transfixed on your work or the TV!

Empathize. Don't just know what they feel; feel what they feel. Feel with them what they're feeling. Accept their feelings - do not deny them their feelings e.g. by saying "Oh, you shouldn't feel this way" or "Oh, don't cry. It's not that bad."

Sufferings, pains or hurts of childhood are part and parcel of all that build up character. Do not rob your children of the learning experience by being too quick to go to their rescue or advise them what to do about it. Let the child figure things out; work out what they ought to do about their situations. When we help the children to feel right, we can be confident that they will behave right.

Another area where we should learn to act with Grace is when we're dealing with a misunderstanding. What do we do when there is a misunderstanding and someone gets angry and speak to us out of that anger?

If someone curses you, and you curse them back, there is no grace in that. If someone curses you, and you bless them instead; that's grace! If we were to give back what we think people deserve, that grieves the Holy Spirit. Why not respond by offering undeserved favour? That's Grace defined!

Relevant biblical verses

Ephesians 4:23-32

And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down on your wrath.

Neither give place to the devil.

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister to the hearers.

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Let's Be Blessed by His Word!

Thinking Big: Time out for charity

2007-11-08T21:34:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, 3rd November 2007, just over 10 of us in The 5E Network, with a few accompanied by little ones, took time out to do something we've not done since school days, something still currently associated with school kids rather than grown-ups or middle-aged adults.

Canvassing for donations from the public in the streets for a charity. In this case, Life Community Services Society of 681, Hougang Avenue 8, a charity which runs a mentoring or befrienders programme for some 100 children of prisoners and a bursary for needy students.

Doing this Flag Day with Life Community Services is the first official act in our earlier decision by our network to adopt the charity. We are not helping out on a once-off hit-and-run basis. A charity often needs not only money but also manpower to run their programmes (in this case, trained volunteer befrienders) and brainpower (e.g. setting aside time to think up new ideas to raise funds or meaningful activities for those under care).

Incidentally, the charity was especially interested in adult canvassers like ourselves, believing that adults tend to do better and collect fuller donation pouches than school children. (And yes, it is pouches nowadays, no more the clanging tin cans.)

The one dozen of us had a good time, from 11am to 3pm, trying to fill up our pouches and finish giving away the donor's stickers. My partner Amy Toh said we should do this again, and put all new business apprentices through such activities periodically.

Why? The exercise, she says, is good training in approaching strangers, speaking up clearly so as to be understood, accepted and get things done, braving rejections and trying again and again, and disciplining ourselves to finish a job, whether or not we feel up to it or tired in the legs.

I found myself, with my gamely 6-year-old boy, standing by a pedestrian walkway, calling out to almost everyone passing by: "Hello! Help us help some children. Children of prisoners. Any little donation will be nice ... Thank you". Jia Wei would simply stick out his hands with the collection pouch hanging from his fingers. On a few occasions, when I get curious glances, I'd feel it necessary to say: "This ... is my son. He's helping me help those children." It's my way of clarifying, "No, he is no child of a prisoner and I am no ex-convict!" ;)

Having executed this first act of helping out with Life Community's Flag Day, we'd be exploring with the charity what else we can do and how else we can help.

The thinking behind our adopting the charity is that people-centred and people-oriented business groups such as ours ought to be big (as in big hearted) enough to set aside time and energy, if not money, for worthy social causes.

We can come together to build our business for personal profit; we can also come together from time to time to help others, people who are helpless, without profit.

That, we think, is a mark of success, a sign of one having arrived, and a characteristic of people of substance.

To all my partners who took time out to be involved in this little project, congratulations on your good show and thank you for the fun.

Get onboard for an adventure

2007-10-15T19:03:00.000-07:00

I've just come back from a 3D2N weekend with the first three Directors in my organization - my sister Joan, young Kelly and his power couple downline, Amy & Douglas.

We had a great time in Changi Village. We enjoyed relaxing dips in Changi Village Hotel's rooftop "pool with a view"; an eight-dish celebration dinner at the Changi Point Ferry Terminal seafood restaurant; local breakfast in the neighbourhood - from dim sum to roti prata; supper at the nearby hawker centre (the goreng pisang is fantastic and so is the sweet potato done like french fries) and easy chats with good company over long drinks late at night at the hotel lounge Vau. A major highlight was an adventure trip to an island getaway!!!!

In the picture, you can see us all onboard for our adventure island.

We didn't talk shop much throughout the stay. We didn't need to. We know each other well in the course of working the business together. It was a "down time" to enjoy each other's company, the friendship that has grown out of the partnership ...

We did toss up a few good ideas on how future Directors' Weekends are going to be!!!! So, here's an open invitation, to get onboard for an adventure of a lifetime, along the way, living our life and doing our business in style.

An Inspirational Video 1 - The Law Of Attraction

2007-10-02T18:31:00.001-07:00

Hit a Brick Wall lately? Love 'em!

2007-09-25T16:55:00.000-07:00

Someone introduced me to an inspiring and moving video on YouTube about a dying but high-spirited and still fun-loving 47-year-old professor, Randy Paush, of Carnegie Mellon University's Entertainment Technology Center.

He chose to speak at his "Last Lecture" about going after his childhood dreams and helping others to achieve theirs.

I find the 1 1/2 talk highy captivating, entertaining, and often funny. Randy is really good. And he presents his life experiences and achievements in generalised, universal terms that we can take and apply in any life situations.

Here's one (or three, or three in one) that I like, and which my business apprentices will find useful to remember every time they run into a brickwall (a.k.a. rejection, or a "stall"):

Brick walls are there for a reason: They let us prove how badly we want things.

Brick walls are there for a reason: They are there to stop other people

Brick walls let us show our dedication.

When you can find 1hr 44min from your busy schedule, go watch this inspiring video,

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5700431505846055184
&q=randy+pausch&total=19&start=10&num=10&so=0&type=search&pl
index=6

It'd be well worth the effort. I laughed through most of it and was moved to tears at the end :)

Even when Randy is done with his part, stay on the video, and listen to what significant others in his professional life say about his life's work. That's the really moving part. How often does a man live to listen to "eulogies" and buildings dedicated in his name? Normally not.

The bad news in boom times

2007-07-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

Have you heard, because of the economic boom, asking rents for some offices or shop space have shot up 50-100%? Imagine, if you were running a business out of an office and your landlord tells you the rent will double up at the next lease renewal. Some businesses have had no choice but to relocate, incurring painful additional costs in the process. Many businesses have also had to pay more just to keep their workers. My lawyer friend who runs his own little firm recently told me fresh graduates nowadays cost more than S$4,000 a month, and they may not even be good enough for the job!

This situation was captured in the Upfront column of The Straits Times on Wednesday, July 25th, under the headline, Boom time doesn't come cheap for businesses.

The writer Erica Tay wrote of Marcus Ng, owner of an interior furnishings company, who was told by his landlord that the rent for his business premises in a MacPherson industrial estate will be raised by more than 30% when it comes up for renewal in three months. Business has been good, but he is not ready to stomach such a steep rental rise. "If I can't bargain for a lower hike, I will move elsewhere."

Then there is VS Kumar, MD of a 100-strong courier company Network Express. His drivers are clamouring for pay rises. "With the current salary you are giving us, our families can't afford to buy the same things anymore," they tell Mr Kumar. The company has no choice but to review salary packages.

The good times have put a squeeze on the supply of commercial space as well as labour, leading to higher rentals and wages. The higher rentals also apply to rents on accomodation, with expatriates asking for higher housing allowances.

When I read about how many businesses stand to suffer as much in good times as they do in bad times, I am glad and thankful for the unique, hassle-free, home-based business that I own. For me, like many other businesses in good times, business has been better so far this year. However, unlike traditional businesses facing the usual headaches and cost pressures, I get to keep all of the extra income.

Nobody gets to tell me to pay more for my rent for I operate out of my office at own home!

I'm sure the rent for our new shop and corporate showcase at the new location in HDB Hub Mall #02-06 is higher than the rent at the previous location. But that's the responsibility and burden of my corporate partner, not me nor my associates.

Wages must have gone up too for the good corporate staff that serve us, but that again is the corporate side's responsibility.

Nobody in my organization ever comes up to me to ask for more money because inflation is pricing things out of their reach. Like me, they get to write their own cheques. If we want more, we just work harder and smarter. It all depends on our own effort and success.

So, good times or bad times, we are fine.

I remember one clever line Eddy Tan, the most successful of Unicity networkers in this part of the world, is fond of using:

"In good times, they eat; in bad times, they do. For us, either way will do" :)

S$300,000 to learn to "listen well"!

2007-07-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

I read in The Straits Times on Tuesday, July 24th, that 46 UBS wealth management trainees are in Singapore to attend a one-year, S$300,000 course on how to be a very good listener - one of the key attributes of a successful private banker.

This select bunch were handpicked from a massive field of 2,800 applicants. They include a former top-ranked Hongkong professional tennis player, a programme manager with the World Economic Forum in Geneva and a super-geek from Singapore, who gave up a S$150,000 a year job developing electronic payment systems to join the programme.

As part of their training, they will receive both classroom and on-the-job training in empathy (YES, EMPATHY), product knowledge and leadership skills in financial hubs such as Singapore and Switzerland. The cost of the course, fully paid by UBS, covers trainees' salaries accomodation, travel expenses and course fees.

According to UBS global wealth management chairman Raoul Weil, who was in Singapore to meet the trainees, successful private bankers must have both "a high emotional quotient (EQ) to relate effectively to the client and the IQ to offer him the best investment options".

The news article was headlined: Want to be a successful private banker? Listen well ..."

My guess is that if you want to be a successful anything, we need to listen well :)

So, it's great that bankers and businesses are picking up on this, and investing in it.

One of these days, some of us are going to make a lot of money simply teaching people how to listen well. Indeed, some of us already are, although indirectly ;)

Hello! Who's listening?

2007-07-07T06:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, in a private coaching session with an apprentice on how to become exceptionally popular and make friends in a social setting, we reviewed a common scenario.

Imagine five friends catching up socially over a coffee. A few have known each other for some time; the others more recently acquianted and inducted into the informal get-together.

Someone starts talking about a pet peeve. He barely finishes what he wants to say. Someone else jumps in with his take on the same subject, believing that he is contributing to the conversation and staying with the flow. Then, another jumps in with her own story. Now, we have three excited people trying to talk at the same time.

The other two, being relatively new to the group or not so adept at speaking up or breaking into an animated conversation, couldn't get a word in. They drift away, find companionship in each other's sense of not quite fitting in, and enter into their own little chat.

Hello, who's listening?

The party ends later and everyone goes home, with dry throats and hollowed hearts.

Now, what if one of the two left out of the conversation, instead of drifting away, listens in closely? He makes a connection with one of the talkers and what he's trying to say. He realizes that there is an interesting story that was unfinished because it was interrupted. So, he speaks up, saying, "Excuse me, just now, what you said about ...., I find that so interesting. Can you please tell me more about that?"

The guy with the unfinished story beams, pleasantly surprised someone was actually listening in to what he had to say, and even wanted to hear the rest of his story. So, he continues with his interrupted story. Now, the polite and interested listener gets the others listening in too.

Do you think this party will end differently?

Do you think there will be at least one person in the party who felt really listened to? And do you think someone in the party of five will leave a good impression of himself on the others and possibly win for himself a deeper bond or friendship than before the evening started out?

The moral of the story? In this world where speaking is over-rated and listening is under-appreciated, it doesn't take much to make a difference and to leave a mark. Let's not worry about speaking up or speaking well so as to impress for the moment. Instead, why not focus on listening well so as to leave a more lasting and favourable impression?

Why not two mouths one ear

2007-05-08T20:26:00.000-07:00

Because we're already bad enough in our communications skills with one mouth and two ears :)

(ok, ok, this may not apply to you. Let's just say I'm speaking in general, about the majority of people. So, don't shut down on me just yet.)

Thinking generally, don't we tend to use our mouths to speak a lot more than we use our ears to listen?

You must have heard the rather common and frequent admonition, "Why do you think we have two ears and one mouth?"

Well, if only we'd listen more and speak less ...

There'd be a lot less misunderstanding among people and nations and a lot more understanding. Now, hang on ... do you realized that we often speak of misunderstanding at work, among friends, at home. How often do we speak of "understanding" at work, at home or at play?

A lot of this lack of listening, relative to speaking, has to do with society, our conditioning and education. Almost all of us are brought up being told repeatedly how important it is to speak well. We hold in esteem those who speak well. (And don't we think there is something wrong with the quieter boys or girls in class?) We pay attention to the art of public speaking, and have all heard about it. Some of us may even have enrolled for courses on public speaking, or would like to? Many have joined clubs that promote effective public speaking. Heard of the Toastmasters?

Debating is often seen as a contest of who can speak better. Have you ever considered that the better debater is the one who listens better, and therefore can rebut more to the point? No?

As a result of social and educational conditioning, what's often missing in our communication skills is the listening.

Whoever have heard of the Art of Public (or Private) Listening? Would you sign up for that course?

Why suffer rejection at all?

2007-04-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

After more than five years in the Unicity network marketing business, working with many partners who want the business for what it can get for them, I find that the fear, and pain, of rejection continues to rear its ugly head.

The fear of rejection, and the pain that is associated with it, often slows down or stops altogether otherwise capable and confident people from continuing to build their Unicity business.

I find that such a pity. Why? Because that fear is unnecessary, and the pain from the so-called rejections are often self-inflicted, borne out of things we often make up in our minds about people - what they mean when they do or don't do certain things.

Think of the guy who've just got a "no, thank you" and how he might tend to recount the rejection over and over again, making up suppositions and assumptions along the way that serve to make him feel worse and worse about himself.

Wouldn't it be nice if there were no rejections to speak of? Wouldn't it be even nicer if we only have acceptances and success stories to share?

We can do and build the business without being rejected.And I am not suggesting we turn the table on our prospects, and in a somewhat vengeful way, hastily reject unsuitable prospects instead.

We can get around all these fear and pain of rejections, in either direction, simply by approaching the business in terms of "looking for a good fit" - and idea I first picked up from a seminar by John Milton Fogg.

We have great products. But not everybody is going to appreciate that, and see their value or feel ready for them. So, we just keep going out, showing people what we have, and looking out and listening up for a fit between what we have to offer and what some people are looking for.

We have a great business opportunity,which is extraordinary and exceptional in its powers and its rewards. But not everybody is going to see its beauty and recognize its power. Even those who do, may not be ready to step out of the familiarity of their comfort zone to venture into the unfamiliar.

Ours is a "lifestyle business" that requires vision, perseverance and personal change - something which many are afraid of!

So, what do we do? We should just keep talking to as many people as possible. Or rather, get as many people as possible to talk to us about what they're doing and what they'd rather be doing, if any. If we listen up well enough, we should be able to find that someone for whom our opportunity represents a God-sent.

Where there's no fit, let go and move on.

Where there seems to be a fit, let's keep exploring until we find the fit.

Where there's a good, ready fit, let's proceed.

Now, where is the rejection in all these?

The book that defines an industry!

2007-04-03T01:31:00.000-07:00

Book that sets record straight for MLM is out!

2007-04-02T00:09:00.000-07:00

It has arrived ... the book, "It's Time For Network Marketing - the most remarkable form of free enterprise ever created", edited by John Milton Fogg, in which I have the privilege and responsibility of being one of 52, mostly big-name, contributors.

The 25 copies which I pre-ordered, mostly for a few key associates who paid in advance on my recommendation, arrived a few days ago. The handful of spare copies have since been snapped up on news.

I was excited on seeing the package. I went straight for my article, entitled "Celebrating Network Marketing - the Business of Uplifting People", which I found on pp 103-109.

I read it again, almost couldn't believe that I wrote what I did, and am pleased with myself for what I said :) It had all flowed out in a moment of inspiration, after days and weeks of hard thinking.

In general, the 351-page, book looks and reads good. Literally and visually, red hot! I know those who pre-ordered the book, long before it was published out of belief and my personal recommendation, will be glad they did.

This morning, over breakfast and my cup of "teh C kosong", I started to dig into the rest of the red-hot book, and what a thrill I had :)

Hey, this book doesn't just define our industry. It sells the entire network marketing industry - very well, very elegantly, and very efficiently.

After working through the foreword by John Milton Fogg, and the first 13 articles, I found them all to be easy reads and profound ones at the same time.

Thinking about the breakfast read on the drive home, I realized that when you ask someone with loads of experience in doing something to share his thoughts or experience in a really short article, you can expect a power-packed piece loaded with the best gems.

What happens when you ask a big bunch of people to do the same? Mega-tons of gems!!!

Imagine ... no need to plough through a whole book to get to the gems. Just two to twelve pages per author. Talk about short cuts!

I strongly recommend the book as a personal development and belief-building tool. It'd also make a good prospecting tool. Offer it to someone who is curious about our business, but for various reasons, wouldn't come to meet your uplines or attend a presentation to find out more, but whom you have a feeling will fall in love with the business if only he knew how classy, professional and fulfilling this business can be.

I am proud to be part of this international now-published effort to set the record straight on what's right and what's good about network marketing.

The book costs US$25 a copy before shipping cost, and cannot be found in the bookshops, at Amazon or Borders. You will have to order online at www.RemarkableNetworkMarketing.com. It's worth the effort and the wait.

"Don't Worry, Be Good, Work Hard"

2007-03-05T00:56:00.000-08:00

Those are the Three Rules that this gentleman would recommend to whoever wants to become worth more and wants to get paid what they're worth.

This is Aaron Webber, a gentleman whose life and choices up to now have repeatedly revalidated and reaffirmed what we represent and what we do in our network marketing venture with Unicity.

Consider this: What would be good to do for someone who have had the opportunity to co-own and run a top 10 MLM company as its top executive?

Surely, someone in this position will get offers to helm other MLM companies as the CEO or CEO of a new division. Or, he'll be offered to take the 001 position of an ambitious start-up? If necessary, he'd be offered millions of dollars cash to allow his name to be used?

Well, not surprisingly, Aaron received all of those types of approaches soon after he decided to step down as CEO of Unicity Int'l in Jan 2006 to make way for Stewart Hughes, the most successful field leader who had left the field to serve as President at that point, and let Stewart take full control.

Out of curiosity, Aaron checked out some of the offers and came away with one conclusion: He wants to take to the field, and only with Unicity - a company he believed in, and had helped build up and led for some years.

He wants to be a Distributor, a business proposition which he had been promoting to thousands of people in thousands of meeting in the almost 10 years that he was a senior to top executive of the company.

His decision reaffirms and revalidates the business model and the company.

On Thusday, March 1st, Aaron showed up in Singapore on our invitation to share with us his journey from the corporate side to the field and his insider's perspective of the business.

He is eminetly qualified to address the field leaders. In about half a year, he went from a distributor with a Senior Manager rank to Presidential Diamond, the top of the compensation plan. He bought the Senior Manager position; but worked for and earned the Diamond status in exemplary time.

He shared with us several insightful observations about leadership and the business.

Aaron's Seven Observations of Leadership:

1. Keep doing what it was that got you to where you're at. Don't stop doing the right things.

2. Leadership is about those who're doing it now (not the "been there, done that" has beens who've stopped working and stopped setting the right example).

3. Too many leaders focus on what used to work, not on what works. We need to move with the times. One good way to stay in-tune is to be in the market doing, not advising.

4. Too many leaders worry about "what ifs" and "what might happen".

5. Be good - not just in building the business and in skills but more importantly, be good at heart. Don't make a promise you can't keep - the best way of never ever breaking a promise.

6. Be a good follower - for good followers make good leaders. Learn to take feedback, advice. Following someone good helps me sleep better.

7. Live thankfully. Work at being thankful, being grateful.

Speaking of being thankful, this is what he suggests we have to be thankful for given the opportunity to do network marketing with a company like Unicity:

1. We get to work only with people we like - people we'd love to go on vacation with.

2. We get to earn what we're worth and what we want. We get to make ourselves worth whatever we want, through continuous self improvement.

3. We will get to enjoy Time Freedom one day! ... And if your cheque is not yet whatever you want yet, use your time to make yourself worth that first.

4. We have in Unicity a company with rich traditions and history: we have what other people are looking for e.g. great products, track record, good people in charge, the certainty of the arrival of our monthly cheques.

5. The Products - we have the "cure" for the No 1 health problem in the world - cardiovascular disease - with a fantastic side benefit: it also helps people with diabetes which is the fastest growing disease in the world.

He shared a number of other principles or "articles of operations" which he lays down for whoever seeks his help to build their business e.g.

1. We believe in Direct Selling (and will not try to pretend that it is anything else);

2. We believe in Good People and know that good people will lead and can do good things;

3. We have no room for negative people

4. We believe in hard work

5. We believe in setting great goals and making plans

6. We celebrate and honour leaders

7. We believe in teamwork

8. We never ever give up

And if all that are too much to absorb and digest, he suggested three simple rules to work and live by. That is ...

Don't Worry. Be Good. Work Hard.

Great man, Aaron. Insightful perspectives. I appreciate you and am glad you've chosen to stay on our side :)

Prosper & Bless Thy friends!

2007-03-03T22:28:00.000-08:00

Relaxing on a solid armchair, next to an auspicious calligraphy proclaiming "Prosperity" ... and admiring one of many pieces of artwork adorning the walls of the enchanting Seletar Hills dream home of an enterprising couple, Ong & Marilou and their 4 year old daughter ... with whom I've had the privilege to become acquainted and become friends in the course of our personal nutrition business.

This picture is taken by Alice Yim - the person who made the connection and through whom a number of us, belonging to the same wellness network, were invited over for a French-style "designer breakfast" on Saturday, 3rd March 2007 - the second last day of the 15-day Chinese New Year celebrations.

We are advising the Ongs on health and wellness. He is excited about what Bios Life is doing for his cholesterol profile while for the first time, making his blood look healthy and clear for the first time!

Ong also shared with us how he was "a little concerned" about how effective Enjuvenate Plus has been for him. The anti-aging drink - a protein and amino acid complex - worked overnight, and made him feel a lot more alert throughout the day! He wondered what might be the hazards of taking a product that work so well.

I asked him to consider what he thinks the impact would be on someone who suffers from malnutrition and was suddenly given a good dose of complete nutrition. Would the impact be felt incrementally or dramatically? He got the idea :)

The pleasures, beauty & power of a P2P biz

2007-02-07T15:31:00.000-08:00

Settling down for a cozy and homely barbeque party in the cool night air of Kowloon Tong, Hongkong are Helen (host), Christina (my wife), Alice (my business partner and tai ka qie or big sister of Helen) and Meng Meng (Helen's son). At the BBQ pit, and not in the picture, are Helen's husband CK and my son Jia Wei.

This photo captures the beauty and pleasures of the P2P (people-to-people) business that I'm building with Unicity.

We're in Hongkong for four clear days (not counting the night we flew in and the morning we flew out) mainly on business and also for leisure. I went with Chris and the two kids!

Alice, a Hongkonger who's settled down in Singapore and introduced to me and the network middle of 2006 by one of my top business partners Sunny, has been connecting family and friends in Hongkong since she embraced the Unicity business several months ago.

Now that she has a nice little nucleus of customers and potential business builders, she asked me to join her on her latest homecoming trip, to help her talk to her potential business builders and show Bios Life, our flagship product, to them and their friends. It'd be both my pleasure and my purpose so I readily agreed. Alice is one capable woman and a natural networker, and I knew she has done the legwork. Besides, a conveniently located accomodation would be provided. So, here we are in Hongkong.

This BBQ, thoughtfully arranged by Helen to bring the families together, followed an afternoon tea presentation for more than 10 people gathered at Helen's home. Almost everybody who said they'd come came. That speaks volumes for the quality of the connections or relationships.

Over tea, I showed the computer graphics which illustrates how Bios Life reduces bad cholesterol in the human body. The crowd was suitably impressed and Alice proceeded to enrol a number of guests as VIP customers. Some of them were to follow up later to add to their orders.

We certainly had cause for celebrations. The tasty well-marinated meats barbequed just right added to the joy.

During the 4+ days, Alice set up a few breakfast or lunch meetings for me to talk to friends and family, two on one, so that I'd have enough business to keep workaholic me happy.

Beyond that, there was ample time to enjoy local food, sightseeing and do some shopping. The ladies, joined by our good friend Jonie who lives in Happy Valley, even had a day out in Shenzhen. I was happy to baby sit for a change.

On Sunday, Feb 4th, I took the family out to HK Disneyland and felt satisfied and relaxed enough to enjoy being there all day from noon to 9pm, taking many many kiddy rides with the kids, taking in the Disney Parade, and staying back until well after the fireworks lit up the sky on top of Sleeping Beauty's Castle.

Yes, I'm talking about a business trip with a large dose of family pleasures.

Only through the power of leverage that network marketing offers can someone linguistically limited like me - I speak no to little Cantonese or Mandarin - build a people business in a Cantonese speaking city like Hongkong.

Only through the power of leverage can I have the pleasure of getting to know beautiful people like Alice & Helen & Family up close and personal, in their living rooms and balconies - on the first meeting!

Only in a business which is truly my own, where I am boss, can I do as I like - go on a business trip with the whole family in tow, and pack in a visit to Mickey Mouse Town as part of the itinerary, without any bossy or HR disapprovals.

Ahhh!!!! The beauty and pleasures of being in business for ourselves, the network marketing way ....

(If you'd like to know more about the fun and fortune of this wholesome people-to-people business, email me at enghlim@pacific.net.sg)

A chance to be your own boss

2007-01-16T20:50:00.000-08:00

What would you do if offered the chance to be your own boss, with a personal franchise that you can build at no financial risk into an exceptional income stream worth tens of thousands of dollars, or more, per month?

Would it matter if you could do so, partnering a time-tested company led by good people and producing world-class nutritional and personal care products that work - that people, who used them once, would come back for more?

Would it help if you didn't have to do it all by yourself, and instead can leverage on many people for advice, support and training?

If learning to take better care of yourself and your family is at the heart of the business, would that be fine with you?

That opportunity - Unicity and its Bios Life Franchise - is now and here. I've seized it. How about you?

Me, a Rotarian: "Service above self"

2007-01-07T00:14:00.000-08:00

On 5th January 2007, after being associated as a lunch-time speaker and a frequent guest of ex-banker friend Ms Caroline Phua over 2 years, I became a member of the Rotary Club of Pandan Valley.

My installation as a member of this club of over 30 distinguished ladies and gentlemen, comes 30 years after I first became associated with the Rotary "Service Above Self" movement, through its junior wing, the Interact Club movement. I joined the Interact Club of St Mark's Secondary School in Penang, Malaysia in 1977 and became its President for the term 1977/78.

Caroline, thank you for your kind invitation, guidance and introduction.

At last Friday Jan 5th's installation ceremeony, the club secretary, lawyer Ong Ying Ping introduced me at some length while President Benedict Soh formally welcomed me with formal words and a beautiful Rotary pin. I had to respond by reading the Pledge and Declaration of Rotarians. I cannot remember ever being in such an officious, ceremonial occasion.

To help him prepare for the formal introduction, Ying Ping emailed me a few questions the day before. I thought those were good questions and I took the trouble to respond to them, the best I could. Here, I'd like to share those questions and answers, because I believe I have a number of messages to share in my responses.

He asked, What is your proudest achievement?
I replied, "All that I am, all that I do and all that I have become today ... where work and life have become one complete and balanced package".

He asked, What most makes you feel your life is complete?
I replied, "Jesus, my mentor and coach".

He asked, Your favourite part of Rotary meetings/projects is ..
I replied, "good people making great conversations and sharing good thoughts over good food".

He asked, the person who's had the greatest impact on your life is ..
I replied, "My mother, who raised a family of 7 children, sent me to university, reinvented herself many times from laundry woman to seamstress, tontine leader, baker and a chef, who could single-handedly cook up a 10-course dinner for tens of tables of diners, and then unfortunately, died young of cancer at 50".

He asked, You were drawn to Rotary Club because ...
I replied, "the camaraderie and relaxed, no-airs socializing among members".

He also asked about my hobbies.
I replied, "When I am not working ... , I am attending to my family - wife Christina and two lovely children, a boy and a girl, and affairs of the 623-household condominium called Pandan Valley ..."

You'll probably wonder, as I did, what's the connection between the Rotary Club and the condominium of the same name. Ying Ping, a lawyer who reads widely and strikes me as a philosophical type of a guy, who digs deep into matters that interest him, could throw light on the question. In our after-lunch walk and chat, he shared with me findings from his research. He said, when the club was first founded in 1983, many of its founding members were expatriates who lived in Pandan Valley! Ahhh!!!!

Interesting coincidences. I'm happy and proud to be associated with both the club and the condominium of the same name, and all the fine people therein :)

Christmas in Pandan Valley

2006-12-25T18:28:00.000-08:00

On Friday, 22nd December 2006, we celebrated Christmas in Pandan Valley with "an evening of food, wine and song" ... "in appreciation of the fine people of MCST 581".

To make sure we get "the movers and shakers" of the condominium community to show up, we sent out personalised invitations to over 130 residents-cum-owners - people who have served in Management Council or attended a general meeting at least once in the past 6 years, offering them two complimentary admission tickets each.

We also invited a handful of new resident-owners who had bought into Pandan Valley in the past 6 months.

Others had to pay S$10 per admission ticket to attend the function which cost S$20 per head to put together.

Here in this photo, you see new resident-owner Mr George J Palathinkal, CFO for AT&T (Asean/India), warmly welcomed by Condominium Manager Laurence Chen, Management Council treasurer Annie Tok, MC secretary Koh Foong Yin and myself, as MC Chairman.

It was a fun and happy function. The food was good. The live music from the strolling musicians - and a guest performance - added much to the atmosphere, lending the evening a touch of class. The wine was good too, in a few ways.

See that glass of wine in my hand as well as Laurence's too? It lifted spirits, and contributed to a good cause - an orphanage in The Philippines - as S$1 out of every glass sold at S$5 went to charity. We had a charity auction too, where we auctioned off bottles of champagne, wine and whisky and household goods like a Cornell Microwave Oven sponsored by the condo's service providers!

It was great having an event like this for it breaks the pattern of people meeting or coming together only when there are issues or problems to be dealt with.

Thank God for Christmas!

"To feel good, do good"

2006-09-27T22:58:00.000-07:00

Last week, at a regional leadership training seminar in Bangkok, I enjoyed a feast of learning and ideas. (Never mind that right after the seminar, Bangkok saw its first military coup in 15 years against now-deposed Prime Minister Thaksin. It went so smoothly it hardly troubled anyone.)

One of the most simple yet powerful ideas came from one of the most successful people I've ever known personally, Stewart Hughes - the 51-year-old CEO of Unicity Int'l.

While talking about habits of success, Stewart spoke of how we should use our actions to determine our feelings instead of the other way around.

"What kind of life would it be if your behaviour is determined by your feelings? What an emotional roller coaster! What a terrible way to live.

Let your actions control your feelings, he urges us on.

"If you do good, you will feel good."

It did not take long for someone else to jump on the idea and add: "We can do so much good with Bios Life."

That is Stewart Hughes' "crusade material" for the past 15 years, and now, Unicity's answer to today's global health epidemic - cadiovascular disease, the No 1 cause of death in the world, in the US, and in South-east Asia!

Indeed! We are on a mission - to eradicate heart disease, naturally!

Do you know of anyone in your family or among your friends who has a problem with high cholesterol?

I can help. Check out the information in www.bioslife.com and then contact me, if you too would like to do good, especially to the people who matter most to you.

Fighting the terrorists within

2006-07-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

Hello there,

In line with my cancer prevention business, I will like to highlight on this blog an email article, on "useful information on one of the deadliest diseases of our time: cancer", from a business associate in Penang whom I gathered received it from somebody who in turn got it from somebody who .... and so on.

Like so much information circulating on the Internet - both the good stuff and the quacky or quirky ones, this article had no attribution nor author's name nor source. It'd have been better to have that information so people can assess for themselves the authority and reliability.

Last week, I received a similiar email article from another associate, similarly non-attributed.

However, I have decided to highlight this more recent one because, coincidentally, it focuses on very much the same points that I've picked out from my research for a Cancer Prevention talk that I have been "commissioned" to do in Malaysia.

To give you a preview of that presentation, which I have tentatively entitled "Cancer Prevention: Fighting the Terrorists Within", let me share with you the 8 basic strategies to prevent (defeat) cancer that I will be promoting in the talk.

They are:

1. Work on your sleep - and let your body rest so its natural healing powers can be activated
2. De-stress your life - ideally, reduce, or eliminate them, and there are a few methods to achieve that
3. Restore your pH balance - cancer cells thrive in an acidic setting (and also body with low oxygen and low energy)
4. Detox your body - cancer risks rise when the body suffers toxin overload
5. Oxygenate your body - by exercising regularly and taking supplements that strengthens your oxygen carriers - the red blood cells
6. Energize your body - again with exercise and energy-boosting supplements
7. Boost your enzyme intake - through supplements since we can't get them from over-processed, over-cooked and junk food
8. Boost your immunity with the best antioxidants you can find

You may read more about these 8 strategies and the background to them when the work is done :)

Meanwhile, please read the article below, so as to be better informed and inspired to do the necessary to stay well.

Be Well, Be Happy, God Bless.

enghai

------------

Subject: Fw: Cancer Information

PLEASE READ AND FORWARD IT TO PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT

Useful Information on one of the deadliest diseases of our time: CANCER

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show
up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When
doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their
bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the
cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be
destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumours.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple
nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental,
food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and
including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and
also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow,
gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver,
kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and
damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce
tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not
result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and
radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed,
hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and
become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer
cells to spread to other sites.

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding
it with the foods it needs to multiply.

CANCER CELLS FEED ON:

a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important
food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal,
Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural
substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts.
Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour.
Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.

b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the
gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk
and substituting with unsweetened soya milk cancer cells are being starved.

c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is
acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef
or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones
and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains,
seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline
environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans.
Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed
and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance
growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy
cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean
sprouts)and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are
destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine.
Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties.
Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and
heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes.
Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrefied and leads
to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining
from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein
walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the
cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence,Essiac,
anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own
killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E
are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's
normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and
positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger,
unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic
environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to
relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment.
Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen
down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means
employed to destroy cancer cells.

Making a difference in the "hi & bye" world

2006-06-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

Two Sundays ago, after church, at one of the high-traffic escalators in busy busy Suntec City, I came across an ex-colleague from my newspaper years (1986-89). We remember each other well, spoke for a few minutes, exchanged contacts and agreed to stay in touch.

A few days later, I followed up with an email, suggesting "kopi or teh?" because I wanted to find out more about her part-time job, getting paid to edit travel stories.

She replied today, suggesting a time, a day and a place to meet.

Her opening remark though made me think and "blog": "Hi Eng Hai, real glad to hear from you. I thought it is one of those where the hi and goodbye ended at Suntec ..."

We do live in a "Hi and Bye" world, where we often talk about catching up over lunch or coffee but almost just as often fail to do so.

I'm sure the failure to follow up with those lunches we often talk about on the fly is not for lack of sincerity. Most likely, it is due to a disease (read dis-ease) of a lack of time - often real, but sometimes imagined, in which case, the fundamental issue may simply be a clash of priorities, where non-core relationships get neglected. That, refers to most relationships with the thousands of people each of us know.

I must admit that if not for the business that I do, I would likely suffer from the same disease too. It wasn't that many years ago that I was living and operating under the "hi and bye" syndrome.

So, am I glad that I am in the business of meeting people ... finding out as much as I can, and as they'd let me, about them; then helping them get whatever it is that they're looking for - either by suggestion, connection or action; and where I discover a good fit between what they're looking for and what I have to offer personally, well, I'll make them an offer and invite them to consider.

Only yesterday, I was at it again - going beyond hi and bye. After a catch-up lunch with one of my business partners in the financial district, I walked past two familiar faces seated at a sidewalk cafe. In the past, I'd have taken a mental note and walked on. Yesterday, I turned back, said hello, and took a seat in between them when invited to do so.

One of them asked if I have time for a chat. I said, "Sure, I'm my own boss, working at my own time and for my own target." And she said: "How nice. We're still only employees, working according to other people's time and targets...." Incidentaly, these two happen to be friends from my journalist days too.

Later, after a good chat, finding out the latest from each other - from work to family, ane exchanging contact cards, we shook hands, parted company and on the way to the MRT, I was tapped on the shoulder by somebody whom I had said hi and bye to only last week - but only because she was coming out of the train to go to work, and I was stepping in to go somewhere else.

This time, I offered to walk her back to her office, and she agreed. We enjoyed a good long chat. She's just happily become a grandmother, enjoying the newborn grandson in Sydney from afar, with the powers of the Internet - at least until she visits in September. At 59, having wrestled with the troubles of being diabetic for years, and living with a husband who stopped working years ago because of mental depression, she's philosophical about life, talking nonchalantly about death and disease. She's working 5-hour workdays because she needs the money for her modest lifestyle and her second mortgage. I've known this charming, energetic lady since my newspaper days too, when she was a valuable news source, and I a rookie reporter out to make a name for myself in the world. I was even happier to listen to her yesterday, in our new capacities, until in the end, she had to excuse herself. "Hey, I better run, or we'd go on and on."

It feels real good to have the time for people, to really hear them out, especially in a world where people are generally too busy for each other, and have little time beyond the hi's and the bye's. It feels even better to know that eventually, I will get paid for that ability to listen to people, for that is now my vocation, my lifestyle, for life.

Back to the ex-colleague whom I met at the Suntec City escalator. I look forward to meeting her because in her brief email, I get that she's looking for advice and I may be able to make a contribution.

"Maybe you can help me plan my retirement with the pittance I am getting each month. I need to save up to book myself into an old folks home!"

In my reply, I said: "Perhaps, when we meet, I can really help you with your retirement planning. I believe we can do better than prepare to end up in an old folks' home, unless that's what you really want ;-> See you next week!"

Smile :) We're in Showbiz!

2006-06-15T02:11:00.000-07:00

Show and tell, show and sell.

Presenting my family and some of my business partners, coming together happily for two days on 17 and 18 Dec 2005 to show off our franchise and a few flagship nutritional products at the Pandan Valley Christmas Fair.

Standing left to right are Julia and husband Kian Seng, Annie Tok and daughter Joyce, Sunny (the one who prompted me to get this blog going), myself and son Jia Wei, Kelly and mom Lola. Seated at centre are two Christina's - one my business partner, Christina Lee and the other, my wife, Christina Chan.

Out of the scores of products that our corporate partner Unicity has to offer, we chose to feature two fast-moving healthy drinks - alfafa-based Super Chlorophyll and Bio Reishi Coffee.

From showing and selling these drinks, we got to share our business opportunity with customers and fellow Fair participants who showed interest in what we were doing. More than the products on offer, I believe it was our generally cheerful disposition that was a major draw :)

While for most stall operators, business began and ended with the two-day fair, for us, business has kept growing.

With the seeds planted during the Fair, we've extended our franchise and market reach within the 623-household Pandan Valley community in the past 6 months. The most inspiring recruit has been the enrolment of 21-year-old speech and hearing impaired Stephanie, with the full and enthusiastic support of her retiree-parents Margaret & Leong. Margaret, who operated the stall at the next lot, has been looking for a business suitable for Stephanie, given her handicaps.

So, Kelly introduced her to the book, How to Make $4000 a Month Working From Home. She asked to borrow the book, read it on the spot - finishing it within an hour, and bought a bottle of Super Chlorophyll to try and check us out. The conversations continued after the Fair, with Kelly following up closely on interest.

Fast forward to today ... Through the steady enrolment of relatives and family friends to use the products or to do the business, Stephanie has since been recognized as a Senior Manager, having achieved the rank in 3 months, and within 5 months, made it to the exclusive Business Builder's Club for having recruited 10 people within a 3-month period.

Her success has inspired many others, including her sponsor/upline, Christina Lee, who was encouraged to step up her efforts, overcoming personal limitations to also climb the ranks to become a Senior Manager herself in May.

Julia, who witnessed the initial approach and subsequent partnershipping, had this to say about the success of these two ladies:

"I can't help but be touched by yet two more success stories of how the company and the team transform lives and build people ... I am in awe of how our business builds people, transforms lives and changes the world."

Well said, Julia. Indeed. What a blessing this experience has been, and will continue to be, for us.

Let the Filipino children have their mothers back

2006-06-01T18:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, I sent off a departing Filipina domestic worker (a.k.a. maid) at Changi Airport.

She is happy to be leaving her S$320 a month job and very excited about her future back in the Philippines.

She can't wait to reach home and to get started with her home-based business, where she gets to build a business of her own, "be my own boss", and work from home, close to the family she loves.

She has a personal franchise with an international reach, with backers providing coaching by Internet and committed to fly in to her hometown when she is ready.

The franchise allows her to 1) buy a wide range of nutritional supplements and personal care products, with a wide range of budgets, and sell them wholesale for a 20-25% profit, and 2) sponsor other people to do the same, whereby she'll get to earn a 3-10% commission of their sales, and the sales of their people.

The first phase of her business involves moving US$50-100 of products every month and bringing in at least 5 people who will do the same - moving US$50-100 of products a month and bringing in 5 people of their own.

She is not limited by geography, and is not confined to her hometown or even the Philippines. Already, she has someone in the USA who will be opening an account under her - the first of her First Five! Her brother!

With this franchise, she expects to achieve a monthly income of US$1,000 a month in a few years. The first, more immediate, objective is to make US$200 a month and inspire others to do the same - stay home or close to family and build a personal business worth hundreds or thousands of US$ a month.

With that kind of money, Filipina moms won't have to leave their children behind in the care of relatives to take care of other people's children in faraway lands. We can start worrying less about the implications of an entire generation of Filipino children growing up without the nurturing and psychological support of their mothers.

I've been looking for a long time for one right person to lead this mission. I've been looking for someone bright, with ambition, a burning desire to be in business for himself or herself, and a willingness to learn and most importantly, to stay the course and never ever quit till the mission is accomplished.

I am optimistic for my Filipina partner, who left Changi Airport with about S$250 of products; five copies of the book "How to make US$4,000 a month working from home"; and one simple advice to always remember and abide by: Whatever the odds or difficulties, NEVER GIVE UP.

All the best "Abigal".

Know of someone with a heart attack risk?

2006-05-29T22:28:00.000-07:00

Do you know of friends or family with unhealthy cholesterol levels?

Do you know if they are on prescription statin drugs?

Do you know if they’re aware of the many side effects of statin drugs?

If you know of a “clinically-proven, patented, safe and natural alternative to statin drugs for cholesterol reduction”, wouldn’t you share this information with them?

I would. I am.

Please consider the following facts:

The Problem - an epidemic

Heart disease is by far the single biggest cause of deaths in the world.

According to World Health Organization’s latest statistics, cardiovascular disease claims 17 million lives in a year, accounting for 30% of all deaths worldwide.

In comparison, All Cancers account for 10%, Injuries 9% and HIV/Aids 5%. Other communicable diseases account for 27%, while other non-communicable diseases account for another 19%.

The US is no exception. Cardiovascular disease is the No 1 cause of deaths there, accounting for 1.3m deaths every year. That means heart disease claims 3,500 lives every day in the US.

Heart disease is a silent killer with little or no advanced warning. Often, the first sign is death by heart attack or stroke.

Unhealthy cholesterol is the leading risk indicator, causing around a third of all cardiovascular disease worldwide.

The Solution

Prescription statin drugs is the most common treatment for unhealthy cholesterol.

The 2 top prescription drugs sold worldwide are cholesterol drugs, namely, Lipitor (estimated to exceed US$13b in 2006, and growing by more than 20% p.a.) and Zocor (US$6.2b). Other brands include Zetia, Vytorin and Crestor.

The market size for cholesterol drugs continues to skyrocket, from US$25b in 2007 to a projected US$30b in 2007.

The Problems with the Solution

Owing to the epidemic proportions of heart disease, and thanks to a hefty multi-billion-dollar advertising and marketing budget, statin drugs sell well despite dangerous side effects such as these:

Ø May change, weaken, damage or destroy muscle
Ø May induce sudden total memory loss
Ø May increase eye cataract risk
Ø May suppress immune function
Ø Have been linked to cancer
Ø Have been linked to liver and kidney damage
Ø Are linked to muscle pain
Ø Deplete CoQ10 levels in the body
Ø May cause sleep disorders
Ø May cause erectile dysfunction

According to the Statin Effects Study of University of California, San Diego: “Muscle symptoms are common with statin drugs. “Myopathy”, involving actual damage to muscle tissue, can be very serious.”

A class action lawsuit is brewing over Pfizer’s LIPITOR®, the Kahn Gauthier Law Group is investigating possible legal actions against Pfizer, Inc., the manufacturer of the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor, to recover for liver or kidney damage suffered by patients prescribed Lipitor.

AstraZeneca studied its Lipitor® look-alike, Crestor®, for cholesterol reduction in 24,000 patients, hoping to prove superiority. But the only dose of Crestor that clearly beat Lipitor turned out to cause kidney problems and never won FDA approval,” according to a Forbes report, May 8, 2006. Yet, Crestor’s ad slogan claims: “When Crestor performed in a head-to-head test, its lowering effect was clearly the best.”

For all the risks that they entail, do prescription drugs work?

In 2002, 100 million cholesterol prescriptions were issued in 2002! With this kind of coverage, why are we seeing an ever-increasing incidence of cardiovascular disease - more strokes and heart attacks every year?

“Our drugs do not work on most patients,” said the chief of Glaxosmithkline.

A senior executive said fewer than half of the patients prescribed some of the most expensive drugs actually derived any benefit from them, reported The Independent, London on December 8, 2003.

A Better Solution – safe, no side effects

Is there a better solution for Cardiovascular Disease than Statin Drugs and their negative side effects?

Yes, Bios Life - “the ONLY clinically-proven, patented, safe and natural alternative to statin drugs for cholesterol reduction”.

While statin drugs address high cholesterols with only one mechanism, i.e. by inhibiting the production of cholesterol by liver, Bios Life lowers cholesterol via 4 mechanisms:

Blocks re-absorption of cholesterol in gastrointestinal tract
Blocks absorption of cholesterol from digested food
Reduces cholesterol produced by the liver
Enhances enzymatic breakdown and removal of bad cholesterol

Clinical studies show Bios Life can, within 8 weeks:

Reduce LDL by as much as 31%
Increase HDL by as much as 29%

Used in conjunction with statin drugs, Bios Life can also help break through the “statin floor” – or the lowest LDL level that statin drugs can achieve - and provide an additional decrease in LDL of an average of 20%.

So, What Next?

Talk to me. Introduce me to friends and family who are on prescription drugs for cholesterol, are nervous about their side effects, and are open to at least check out “the only clinically-proven, patented, safe and natural alternative to statin drugs for cholesterol reduction”.

By the way, what are your numbers?

Here are some benchmarks on healthy cholesterol levels:

Healthy Total Cholesterol: 200 mg/dL or lower (consider 100 or lower)
Healthy LDL Cholesterol: 129 mg/dL or less
Normal HDL Cholesterol: 40 mg/dL or higher (consider 60 or more)
Acceptable Triglyceride Level: 150 mg/dL or lower

Yours in Wellness,

Eng Hai

"Don't you work?"

2006-05-22T21:17:00.000-07:00

"Don't you work?", a neighbour asked me just now as we crossed each other's path on the stairs up to my home.

"Oh yes, I do," I responded readily, and merrily, adding that "I work from home, which gives me time during the day to "kaypoh" around the place." Kaypoh is Hokkien for being a busybody :)

Given the home-based nature of my Internet-supported Unicity enterprise, I have more flexibility than the average person in his/her 40s to attend to voluntary community affairs like serving on the Management Council of the Pandan Valley condominium.

I had just come back from spending some time with a key management staff, talking through some of the many little improvements we are making and can make in future to improve the look and feel of the estate and upgrade the amenities.

For example, we have a good number of facilities spread out over the sprawling Leisure Hub in one of the 7 blocks in this 623-unit condomnium. From the outside, these facilities - the Clubhouse, the Lounge, the multi-purpose room, the reading room - all look officious, unwelcoming and "no fun". So, I thought, why not label each facility nicely and brightly. At least, residents will know what they are passing up when they are passing by.

Simple things that can do a lot for many. That's what I like to do.

That very much describes my business, my work, too: Doing simple things that can do a lot for many.

Like what? Keeping in touch with friends, listening up for problems where I can make a contribution; sharing with whoever may be looking, the better health that my products can offer, or the independence, freedom, security and future that my home-based franchise can provide.

Often, I need not spend too much time talking, at least initially, for there is always a website, a product catalog or a book I can point them to e.g. that book on How To Make $4000 A Month Working From Home. Yes, that's what I do :)

When anyone decides that they really want to do something about their wellness, or start being their own boss by learning to build and building a business of their own, that's when I will spend a bit more time talking. Actually, it's more like getting them to do the talking, engaging them in conversation. I call that coaching and for that reason, I call myself a Coach.

As Coach, I help people get in touch with their core and inner-most desires, discover and decide what's most important to them, then encourage them to look into their inner strengths and latent capabilities to break through psychological barriers and their long-established "lack conditioning".

How do I get paid? Absolutely no coaching fees. Purely performance-based. I get a 5-20% cut of the profits they make. Good money, and I do mean GOOD.

Now, don't you think that I work?

Well, it depends on how you look at it.

Did someone say, when you enjoy what you do, you won't have to work for another day of your life?

My life and work has indeed become one.

In a few minutes, wife Chris will be back with the two kids, Jia Wei and Yan Ting, and a takeaway lunch. Pan mian, Chris said when she phoned home just now. Hey, we will get to have fun eating together, before I go out in the afternoon to meet a partner and a prospective customer.

Oh yes, I do work, and I do go out when I need to. I am home-based; not home-bound ;->

Cancer Prevention Business

2006-05-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

A Book Review
Title: Antioxidants Against Cancer
Author: Ralph W Moss, PhD

If you want to deepen your understanding on the power of antioxidants in the fight against the all-too-common scourge called cancer, read the book, Antioxidants Against Cancer, by Ralph W Moss.

If you want to share with someone who is acutely aware of the pain and fear of cancer, as well as the conventional treatments that it portends, lend them this book.

If you want to win over a medical professional, or challenge a doctor whom you believe is giving bad advice to a loved one about cancer treatment, insists the doctor read this book and then, give you his opinion.

This book makes great inflight reading, and so it was for me on April 9th 2006 as I was flying Singapore-Bali: I found time to read this book again, and this time, slowly, from cover to cover. By the time I was done, I wondered why I let the book sit on my bookshelves half-read, and why I do not have tens and tens of copies to give away or to lend to people.

For those of us who consider fighting cancer and preventing cancer one of our pet causes, personal battles or mission, do count this book among the must-have arsenals that we can use in this battle. (For me, it is my business: I am in the cancer prevention business!)

Let me share with you some of the many interesting ideas and empowering information I picked up from the book.

---

First, the author is a Director of CancerDecisions.com, an online treatment information resources for cancer patients. He is a leading expert in America on cancer alternatives. He writes with authority, supported by hundreds of references, and yet simply. As oncologist Dr Stephen Sagar of Hamilton Regional Cancer Centre in Canada puts it, it is an excellent evidence-based summary, easily understood by both patients and their cancer treatement specialists.

"Antioxidants against Cancer", the book, is about how to activate your body's natural healing powers with today'smost protective and immune-boosting supplements and foods.

It is a definitive eye-opening book that will show you and your doctors why antioxidant therapy should be offered to every cancer patient. It reveals how we can use antioxidants to:

1. greatly reduce your risk of getting cancer
2. help prevent cancer recurrences
3. decrease the side effects of chemtotherapy and radiation
4. improve the results of conventional treatment.

In this book, we can learn which specific fruits and vegetables are the most powerful weapons in the fight against cancer. Discover which food supplements are an absolutely necessary part of your antioxidant program.

And up to now, I have been quoting extensively from the covers of the book - the front and the back covers! Hee Hee .... Remember I said I read it cover to cover ;->

------

Now, let's dig into some of the most interesting titbits from inside the book.

p. 5, table of contents: One glance shows that the book delves into the relevance and importance of more than a dozen well-known vitamins and supplements e.g. Vitamins A, C and E, Beta-carotene, CoQ10, Folic and Lipoic Acid .... The coverage is extensive, and can be digested chapter by chapter, starting with those names that one's more familiar with or have bene recommended to consume.

p. 15: On fruits & vegetables with the greatest antioxidant values (or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity or ORAC), Blueberry tops the list. Also high on the list are blackberry, garlic, kale, strawberry, spinach, brussel sprouts, plum, alfafa sprouts, broccoli floret, beet, orange, red grape, red pepper ...

You know what that list makes me think about? Unicity's Daily Produce 24. Go read the label, see what we have to offer there!

Just in case someone runs away with the list to the supermarket, Ralph Moss presented the list against this contextual advice: "Food is the mainstay of your antioxidant program. But I strongly believe that it is necessary to take supplements in addition to foods in order to get the maximum benefit."

p. 102: Here is one personal nugget should help people and doctors who always worry about over-doses and taking too much supplements - a supplements program which Ralph Moss and his family takes ....

A good multi-vitamin/mineral pill (without iron)
Vitamins A, C and E
CoQ10
Lipoic acid
Zinc
Selenium
Grape seeds/Pycnogemnol
Mixed carotenoids

p. 101, Conclusions: In his concluding chapter, Ralph Moss summarize his 3 basic ideas as follows: 1. Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of cancer; 2. Supplements are a necessary part of any antioxidant program; 3. Antioxidants generally improve conventional cancer treatments by decreasing side effects without decreasing effectiveness.

p. 105, Appendix: The author cites 3 types of "synthetic antioxidants" in the appendix to make the point that while medical professionals question the benefit of dietary antioxidants for cancer patients on radiation and chemotherapy, they have been using "synthetic antioxidants" created in chemsitry labs to mimic and presumably improve upon the effects of dietary antioxidants. The point is, if oncologists can routinely prescribe "synthetic antioxidants" along with radiation and chemotherapy, why not dietary supplements?

p. 99: In the penultimate chapter on History Of A Controversy, Ralph Moss said: "In the last few years, we have witnessed a tremendous change in the attitude of scientists towards nutrition and cancer. For audiences of the 21st century, it will become increasingly difficult to understand how bitterly the American medical profession of the 20th century opposed the dietary approach to cancer. Doctors usually claimed they were defending the public from cancer quakery. But while there was some quakery, more often this charge was a figleaf to cover their fear of change."

----

I say: Whoa .......

I strongly recommend owning many copies of this book, one to read and to refer to, the rest to lend to others to empower them with life-enhancing information in the face of the ever-rising cancer scourge.

Book available from amazon.com at US$9.95

Divine Inspirations

2006-05-14T19:29:00.000-07:00

Hi!

Welcome to my blog, created on this the 15th day of May 2006. I have chosen to call it The 5E Network, naming it after my international network of business partners and customers.

In this maiden bogpost, let me share how I come to be a-blogging.

I was talking to my friend and business partner Sunny Chow over coffee this morning about some of the stuff I regularly send out by email, and he jumped on it, strongly urging me to have a blog where I can archive them for future reference and for the purpose of sharing with people for whom some of these email articles may be relevant. He said it'd take only a few minutes to create a blog. And I said, show me.

So, we walked over from the dining table to my computer in my home office and here I am ... with a blog of my own, sharing my thoughts and inspirations with the world. I never thought I'd be keeping a web-diary open to the world to see ;->

For completeness, and substance, here's the email article that got me started ...

----- Original Message -----
From: Lim Eng Hai
To: The 5E Network
Sent: Friday, May 12, 2006 7:32 AM
Subject: Listen up, listen well .... for Divine Inspirations ;->
Dear Friends & Partners,

I'd like to share with you some of the amazing messages that I've been picking up from Church lately.

I had learnt that to coach others well, we need to have a coach ourselves, so that we are learning as we are teaching.

I have a Coach .... in the Lord - The Greatest Coach In The World and The Greatest Teacher Of All Times!

Without prejudice to your individual beliefs, please allow me to share with you highlights of my most recent "coaching" sessions ;->

eh.

-------------------

On April 30th, Pastor Prince shared a message that he said will spell "financial abundance" to whoever it is meant for. I know it is meant for me, among others.

Ask God for wisdom ...or, for "an understanding heart ... that I may discern between good and bad" as Solomon did at Gibeon, and everything thing else will follow - long life, riches and honour - 1 Kings 3

Have a listening heart. Listen not just with your ears but with your heart. Ask questions and listen, just as Jesus did at the age of 12.

After a visit to Jerusalem for the feast of the passover with his parents Joseph and Mary, Jesus "tarried", staying behind without the parents' knowledge. It was only one day later that they realized he was not with them. So, they turned back to look for him, and after 3 days, they found him. And what was he doing?

He was sitting amidst the priests at the temple, "both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers." - Luke 2:46

Understanding shows through with listening and questioning, not talking! Therefore, be slow to speak, swift to hear ...

"Wherefore, my beloved breathren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God." - James 2:19-20

(That last message came at a time when I had just allowed myself to be visibly upset with a business associate over something. It drove to immediately seek to make amends.)

----

On May 7th, Pastor Lian spoke on wisdom has God had guided her to do, reinforced by a last minute call from Senior Pastor Prince during a moment of doubt ....

Wisdom is a person, she said. That person is Jesus. "Let Jesus be your wisdom from within".

When you need help, there is no need for elegant words spoken in prayers. Just cry out for him, and let him be your wisdom from within.

"The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." - James 3:17.

Be prepared to accept correction, especially from the wise and anointed. God often speaks to us through others. Think of it as divine correction.

There is more hope for fools than people who think they know it all.

(I've been looking for the exact verse and wordings of the above in the Bible since last Sunday's service, but without success ... until yesterday ... when I caught up with an old friend over lunch. I shared with her the fun that I've been having with consulting God's Word, and my difficulty in locating this verse about wise men and fools. She helped me find it in The Book of Proverbs and pointed me to it late last night. Here it is ....)

"Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? There is more hope of a fool than of him." - Proverbs 26:12

------

Lastly.... I was going to send out the above email when my son Jia Wei, who had woken up early, interrupted me, and helped me to achieve a "pause for effect".

He said he has something he must show me first. He led me to his room, and guess what he has drawn on the whiteboard?

Speaking and Listening ... A mouth on one side and an ear on the other, with waves connecting the two as the mouth speaks and the ear listens!

I was intrigued, and asked him what inspired him to draw that.

He led me to a book, turned to a page on "Loss of Hearing". It reads: "Hearing loss happens when the ear is damaged by loud sounds or sickness. People use hearing aids to hear better. Other people can't hear at all...." Smiling as I reflect on how "sickness" impairs most people's hearing without their ever realizing that, I closed the book to look at its title.

HEARING.

Jia Wei told me that he had just picked it up from the Library, yesterday.

Amazing! Pause for effect, indeed.

Let's enjoy these divine inspirations and revelations, have fun with them, and let them bless our days and our work :)

eh.